Star gazing
by Selector
Summary: Taylor triggered, didn't she? Maybe? Wait a minute!
1. Chapter 1

AN: I am so sorry, I read Constellations by Unwelcome Storm on Sufficient Velocity (Crucial that you read that first). It is the best Worm AU I have read, certainly one of the top five. This is my poor attempt to add some legs to that. It kind of flew out of my fingers in a few days after reading her excellent story. It can be considered AU of where I last read that story. Chapter forty-six I think, everything that follows can be considered the biggest Omake in history.

Constellations

Taylor glared at Sunny as she dried herself, shivering. "You know I'm female right. So my monkey years are supposed to be eighteen and thirty something right?"

Sunny smiled at her between bouts of chuffing wolfish laughter.

A knock came at the door just as Taylor got back in her wide sleeved top over her camisole and her winter skirt. She stepped to the heater as she said "Come in!"

The door opened and bright-eyed beaming Dinah burst in "Snow!" the girl spun on her heel and ran off. Taylor sat on the floor by the heater and put on her socks while shaking her head. Her boots followed, she then lifted herself and headed outside to the squealing.

Taylor watched amused as Sunny chased Dinah through the snow and helped in building a snow fort. She, after the first moments of watching set up her music stand and got her flute. The notes of her playing drifted over the growing crowd who trod the paths around the walls to the clean benches and down the cleaned cobblestone path. They were all smiling. The snow was pristine white, like it had fallen on a glacier somewhere, not in Brockton Bay. The shrine was stunningly beautiful as the rays of the setting sun lit it.

After practice Taylor refilled the charms and ema baskets, untouched by snow, and took Dinah into her office for tea. Sunny lay on at the top of the steps like a lioness surveying her domain.

Taylor called Oni Lee and Dinah grinned at her. Taylor helped the girl comb her hair out and found her something dry to wear. A big sleeved white, raw silk haori like she had and red hakama. Both too small to fit herself. Donated to the shrine by some of the locals. Lovingly stored by either former Miko or their families, in some cases the last memory the family had of their Miko daughters. Taylors were made for her. There were very few women in japan five feet eight inches tall and there had probably never been a Miko that tall. Dinah loved it of course. She loved the lecture from Taylor about representing Pawprint shrine and the Miko that had had it before while wearing it and how she should behave even more as Taylor helped her into it and the tabi and zori for her feet. Last she tied her hair in a pony tail with red and white hair ribbons. This would become known as the full Miko, a shrine maiden in her 'colors', inviolable. Dinah took it very, very seriously.

Taylor knew the story of every donated piece. The Baachan collective had made sure of that.

Constellations

Taylor walked out with Oni Lee and Dinah after a cup of tea and a melon roll for Oni lee and the immediate area jerked to a halt. Deep bows from the people around made Taylor blush and Oni Lee smile under his mask.

Taylor showed the two the construction material and her site plan. Oni Lee nodded. He knew of these plans already. Oni Lee smiled at the two Miko going over the site. He stroked the head of the white wolf that had pushed his hand up lifting it to his waist.

Dinah sighed and said goodbye. Taylor looked at her "Like you won't get lost again tomorrow." Dinah grinned and took Oni Lee's hand. He led her to the bus stop while Dinah returned deep bows with bright smiles.

Taylor never noticed the page of drawings she had laid out on the pile of lumber held down with rocks. She entered the Torii as it got dark and gave Sunny another glare as the snow was all miraculously gone. "You just wanted me frozen." Sunny chuffed at her. Taylor sighed and led her to the shamusho, the small office building of the shrine. She would get dinner together and then it was bedtime. A dunk in freezing water was exhausting.

Constellations

Legend looked at the video and then at Chessman and the rest of the protectorate "Well that's like no power I have ever seen before."

Miss Militia laughed "Welcome to Brockton Bay. That kind of thing is our specialty. A foot or two of snow in the shrine and only in the shrine, lightning bolts for chastisement. Nothing out of the ordinary."

Legend nodded "As I am realizing. OK, so tonight's patrols are again an effort to deny the Merchants key terrain. We will be moving through these buildings near the former Dock Workers Association and clearing them."

Danny nodded "I have some friends still in the Union. Mark and Kurt are getting some guys together to take it back and hold it once we clear it. There are a couple of buildings there that can be put in useable condition fairly easily and that will deny it to either the ABB of E88. The Dockworkers already have tentative contacts with Local 433 which is apparently what the legitimate side of Lungs Operation is going by now."

Emily Piggot nodded "Which still baffles the thinkers. We do have some coming in with the appropriate cultural experience however. The closest ours got was it is some kind of honor debt owed the Miko by Lung."

Velocity spoke up "The Kami. Lung owes the Kami. Him striking the Miko in the temple put him way behind the curve."

Emily nodded "That is from the Baachan collective?" Velocity nodded.

Dragon spoke up from her monitor "Brushstroke just happened to have winter Miko robes to fit a girl that size?"

Velocity snorted "Probably more than that. She is tall. Annette must have been a tall woman too Danny. All of the Miko's clothes are new, either commercial clothes in the correct colors acquired by Good Dog lick marking them or from her house. Her winter clothes are made by the Baachan or under the orders of the Baachan. There are some Shinto families among them. Quite a few actually who had Miko as relatives before, well, before. They deliver them on their weekly visit and teaching trips."

"The Miko wears a white haori, and a traditional red divided skirt, hakama. For winter probably lined. Around the shrine at least she is wearing tabi and zori, divided toe socks and sandals. Her hair is tied in a red and white scarf. That is the full Miko, her 'colors' if you will. Out of the shrine she wears any number of different things but has gravitated to red and white. Expect her to be in full Miko costume for a while now. The Baachan will insist and take steps. This will be seen as necessary for her to display her colors, and so that there is no question who she is. Any attacks on her will be punished severely. It's also an opportunity for the Baachan to get her used to full costume. They won't pass it up."

Dragon nodded "Any progress on which Kami?"

"Amaterasu is still the best guess and the Baachan will neither confirm or deny this. Sunny fits though." Velocity shrugged.

Danny pinched the bridge of his nose "Taylor was never exposed to eastern mythology as a child. If she triggered at eight years old as we suspect, she created this whole cloth, like those infinite monkeys. Now she is a Miko? A priestess who's origins are lost in the prewriting history of Japan. A country she has never been to."

Velocity shrugged and looked apologetic "In the old ways, a shaman, pre Buddhism and its influence on Shinto. Her ofuda and charms work, especially on demons. The Baachan are sure of it. Powers are bullshit?"

Legend nodded "This is fascinating, and I may have to move Arthur here permanently over it. He wants to get a look at that shrine so bad he can taste it. However, we do have this thing tonight. Now that Lung has helped us get rid of Coil, and before Kaiser gets his reinforcements in here." The others nodded and got down to work.

Constellations

Sunny smacked her lips over the crockpot nikujaga Taylor had cooked while they were out and about. Taylor laughed "It is good. I need a real kitchen though. I have a hankering for a lasagna. I can't bake either."

Sunny smacked her chops and Taylor chuckled "Hey, aren't you supposed to be at Kayden's house soon? I think you should go. Kaiser might not consider what he thinks of as internal discipline to be a violation of the truce." Sunny looked at her thoughtfully then nodded. She kept looking at Taylor who laughed "Yes I will lock the door." Sunny gave her a stern look and then trotted over to the door and opened it. It had come with handles rather than knobs. Taylor listened then groaned and went over and locked it "fine mother." Bark! Taylor listened to the claws clicking on cobbles, smiled and went to clean up and store the nikujaga and reread about sukiyaki. Another one she could pull off in her crockpot she thought. Plus she had a London broil that needed something done with it someone had left. That must have been for Sunny but Sunny had brought it to her. She looked at the cases packed with winter vegetables and straw out her window and nodded. She would prep in the morning.

Taylor settled in and called her dad then worked on homework, finally going to bed.

Constellations

Sunny patted the balcony window and got a grin from Kayden and Aster. Kayden let her in and she immediately put her head within reach of Aster. Kayden rolled her eyes. She would be tripping over Sunny all night unless she figured this out. Theo chuckled "Put Aster on the floor on a blanket. I'll be in here doing homework or cruising the net anyway. I can be Sunny's thumbs." Kayden nodded. That was a good idea. Kayden did just that and Sunny took over Aster. Kayden went about cleaning up from dinner and getting some work done.

Theo opened the PHO boards "Sunny? Where did the new Miko come from?"

Kayden leaned her head out of the kitchen "New Miko?"

Theo nodded "Oni Lee is walking that girl home again, well, riding the bus with her. Or has. She is wearing Shrine colors."

Kayden walked over "It's the same girl as in the other pictures."

Theo clicked on another picture and both of their jaws dropped. The shrine was covered in snow. And Sunny along with the girl were diving in the snow and then piling it up and diving in bigger piles. Sunny chuffed. Kayden looked at her "What did you do Sunny?" Sunny got a look of complete innocence. Kayden snorted. "By the way what happened with Taylor? Do I need to go tee off in those Merchants behinds?"

Theo snorted "Not from the post on the boards. The Protectorate is grinding them to an extremely fine paste. Plus, the news on TV. There is a new raid every night. Heavy patrols during the day too. This post has a ward patrol and its all the wards plus a PRT squad. The ABB hasn't even started on them yet. The Miko being under Lung's protection has to draw fire from him somehow."

Kayden had walked back in the kitchen "As long as the ABB behaves. Hard to believe you two snapped a leash on a dragon Sunny."

Sunny lolled her tongue out. Something she regretted as Aster grabbed it. Theo and Kayden laughed until they cried. They both got pictures. Kayden sighed when it was all over and Sunny had managed to retrieve her tongue. "To bad we can't post these until we get away from Kaiser."

Theo took one of Aster laying surrounded by a curled up Sunny. Kayden smiled at it. Theo nodded "Dad is an idiot. You and I both know he doesn't believe that crap and Medhall makes a fortune. I have never understood why he wants to 'rule' Brockton Bay. It drives most of the politicians we have around her insane."

Kayden laughed "Yeah, I figured that out after a while. It's something you have to realize on your own apparently. OK bed for me. You have school too. Sunny put Aster to sleep." Theo looked over and smiled at his half-sister sleeping in a wall of fur.

Kayden got Aster in her crib and Sunny lay down in front of it. "Thank you Sunny." Sunny nodded and Kayden went to her room, showered and fell in bed. It was eight o'clock.

Constellations

It was three a.m. Emily watched on the screens as Chessman's green army men swept through the last of the twenty-block area. Backed up by APC's and Tanks from a bygone era. Still deadly though. Resistance had been crushed immediately. They were finishing up the pacification of this area and the cordon could go defensive. The PRT was coordinating with the dock workers and the forensics folks would have another whole day of work as would the Police liaisons. Everyone else would get eight hours sleep and start the prep for the next raid. Paul, her deputy, would be here in an hour and she could hand off to him and be back at noon. Barring some crazy crap happening that forced them to call her.

Constellations

Kaiser sat looking out his window facing the boat graveyard watching the flashes and listening to the whumping sounds of explosions or massive force being applied. "Fucking Merchants. The Protectorate isn't holding back at all."

Krieg shrugged "They attacked a capes family. Would we hold back?"

Kaiser laughed "The whole thing would be on fire by now." He sighed "There is nothing we can do against Lung with four of us."

Krieg nodded "He has Oni Lee and Brushstroke."

Kaiser rubbed his chin "I have been going over the truce meeting in my head. I don't think he has her so much as she has him."

Krieg frowned "Some kind of religious thing perhaps."

Kaiser nodded "We need to let that settle. This Protectorate thing needs to settle and we need to get as many of our capes back as possible."

Krieg nodded "Medhall makes a lot of money and has a lot of lawyers thankfully." The pair settled in silence for a moment. Krieg continued "Rumor is Lung bought his way out of some trouble with the shrine by gifting her property contiguous to it. We actually own a lot of property around there that is useless to us and a tax burden. We did burn out the Union because they wouldn't cooperate with us."

Kaiser looked at him thoughtfully. It would actually be worth it to settle Brushstroke and get her off of them. With Lung and the Protectorate in her corner she was effectively untouchable. "That was the excuse Hookwolf used. Still a leader is responsible."

Constellations

Lung looked at Oni Lee "As distasteful as it may be we may have to coordinate with the PRT. I think the shrine is a good spot to have a conversation with representatives of theirs." Oni Lee said nothing. Lung nodded "Another Miko?"

Oni Lee was silent a moment "The girl that was attacked, who Coils mercenaries tried to retrieve from the shrine."

Kenta sighed "A white girl playing."

Oni replied "The Miko instructed her. She behaved appropriately." Kenta grunted.

Constellations

Taylor was up early and went into the shrine yard in a red and white track suit. She stretched and then ran along the pawprint sidewalks beaming smiles at people who stopped, faced her, and bowed until she passed.

Sunny found her along the route. Taylor smiled at her "Did you have fun?" Bark! "You could have stayed. I have school." Sunny looked up at her. Taylor rolled her eyes "I can get to school on my own." Sunny was unmoved. Taylor rolled her eyes.

Back at the shrine Taylor stretched while Sunny went and patrolled the shrine before coming in as Taylor washed up in the bathroom. When Taylor came out and looked at the tatami mat she was sleeping on she sighed, Sunny had laid out a bright white haori and brilliant read hakama "Full Miko? Really?" Sunny looked at her "No mistakes with who I am or who I belong to. OK fine. I understand. Besides it is a bit nippy out. I can wear a watch cap or something on the ride there though right?" Bark! Taylor smiled "Thank you. Now breakfast and we can go." Taylor dropped two eggs in the water she had boiling after splashing in some vinegar, looked at Sunny and dropped in two more. While those were poaching she got out some bread and toasted it over the charcoal.

The pair were finished breakfast and on the way to school smiling at bowing people halfway there. Yuuta caught her at the bike rack at Winslow and nodded "Full colors. Good idea. We don't want anyone making any mistakes so Lung comes over here and turns the building inside out. Although that might get the heat fixed. I mean they would have to build a new one right?"

Taylor opened her mouth and squawked as she was drug off by girls in Local 433 jackets and into a empty classroom. The girls promptly got to work on her hair. Yuuta was shut out of the classroom and Taylor squawked again as her skirt was pulled off and redone. The girl doing it beamed at her "You had the five in front fine but the two pleats in back weren't right. It's hard without a friend to help. Good effort though. Nice work on the under hakama knot in the Obi as well. Where was the little Miko?"

Taylor sighed "Dinah. She got wet playing in the snow and those are all the clothes I had that would fit her. She isn't a Miko."

The girls all giggled "We saw her face Miko. You have an apprentice."

Taylor snorted "I am an apprentice." Taylor wobbled and a girl steadied her arm as another removed her boots and put tabi and zori on her. She stilled as her chin was grabbed and a quick nearly professional minimalist makeup session had her at her very best. Taylor blinked. She had never been one for makeup and that happened so fast it was a blur. Granted it was very little, a little eye makeup, some mascara, a couple of swipes at her face with something, a little tickling with a brush that ended as it was feeling good and some lip gloss, but still.

The girl finished tying the obi "Oh no. You planted the trees, made the neighborhood better. As Brushstroke you improved hundreds of buildings. Your charms exorcise demons. Now you taught Yuuta how to do them and his work too! You are the Priestess." She stepped back and they all bowed deeply.

Taylor bowed back several times, turning in a circle "Thank you. I hope to make things better. Really it's all Sunny."

Lily, the leader, nodded "The Okami. OK we are ready." One of the girls opened the door and two of them stepped out then Taylor then the others. The other students in the hall made way for her. She smiled and nodded to the ones she knew. Admittedly few.

Constellations

Danny stood in front of the house. Kurt watched as the foremen of the shops involved in the project looked the house over. "The car is a write off Danny. I think the house pretty much is too. We will get some laborers in and move everything to storage and then see what can be saved."

An Asian man stepped up "You are Mr. Hebert, father of the Miko?"

Danny and Kurt looked at him and Danny bowed a little "Yes."

The man bowed back "George Nakashima, master carpenter. You are perhaps looking to rebuild?"

Kurt nodded "He will be. You guys are expensive though."

George smiled "Not for the Miko. Plus, I suddenly have lots of apprentices to train."

Danny opened his mouth but Kurt beat him to it "A lot of that going around." The two walked off toward the house leaving Danny standing by the drive looking at his car, or what was left of it. George Henrick walked up "No saving that one."

Danny nodded then smiled "Taylor is alright though."

George Henricks nodded "Got your priorities straight, good. That lot behind yours, it's abandoned. So are the two on the other side of you. Put them all together and you got a full acre there. Insurance plus the City and PRT are probably going to pay off enough for you to leave Taylor a nice place. Maybe some more connected. The Jorgensen's keep talking about moving downtown to that assisted living building. The Millers and Smiths looked into it as well."

Danny grinned "Plus what we have taken from Skidmark's people so far and I get a piece of that. Taylor and Sunny get a big chunk as they took down Skidmark."

George nodded "Get her started on her onsen."

Danny nodded "Those are double lots she got given. She has those two doubles with businesses on both ends and an alley between. I wonder if Mr. Nakashima could do anything with two doubles for the onsen."

Martha Henrick walked over "Get the girl someplace to live besides the temple first. And a nice big kitchen."

"Taylor calls it a shrine Mrs. Henrick." Danny offered. He flinched at the stare he got back.

Constellations

Martha Henrick looked around the office of the shrine. She was amazed at the stacks and stacks of canned vegetables. "You had a good year in your garden Taylor." She had taught Taylor canning and vegetable storage herself. She hadn't realized the girl got this much done. How much did those bike baskets hold?

Taylor smiled as she gathered her tea things. It was an unseasonably warm late afternoon. Tea outside with the Baachan collective would be fine. Martha was a bit of a shock, her just showing up like this, in the middle of ABB territory. George Henricks was over at the Onsen lot with George Nakashima. Taylor blew at a loose lock of hair and Dinah came back in for another load of things. The girl had shown up as always now, gotten her haori, skirt and other things out then practiced her Sunny eyes on Taylor until she helped her into the uniform.

Taylor had to admit she had done nothing but help since then though. Taylor was actually glad. It had turned into a busy Friday.

Martha Henrick fell right in amongst the Baachan. Automatically included in the highest position as being the closest Grandmother to Taylor and then proving her own worth when the Baachan understood Taylor got her gardening and cooking knowledge from her.

Carol Dallon was unaccountably nervous. No not unaccountably, they were headed for the lair of a master. The PRT had her as a master three but she had a projection that had taken out half of the E88. Carol knew that meant she was a high master. Sarah had of course been insistent. So, the entirety of New Wave was going to pay their respects.

Glory Girl led them down and they got themselves arranged on the pawprint sidewalk. Carol's mind wandered a bit. She had read the reports from the PRT about their experiments proving these were not artifacts of the master but that didn't explain why people on them were left alone or how there was one within a reasonable distance of most populated places in town. They had been mapped. One left from each side of the gate ton the shrine and zigzagged all over town.

Carol had done her homework and then found a lawyer who was of the Shinto faith. Thy Bui had agreed to meet her here as she had intended to offer her services to the shrine anyway as part of her duty of faith. Carol had blinked at that, Thy was vicious and still building both her reputation and a firm. She had prepared a briefing though and had told Carol that if this Miko was really what she appeared to be they were dealing with one of the most powerful goddesses of the Shinto faith and that talking to the Miko was the same as talking to the goddess. The projection, Good Dog, was not Brushstroke's but the goddesses. Carol had a bottle of wine contemplating that after Thy left. It was Brocton Bay however so anything was possible. New Wave had received the briefing like it was a natural occurrence. Something they did everyday. Lad de da, a goddess in town.

The important thing to remember was the Shrine was accorded neutral ground. She would have to be on her best behavior until something obviously untoward happened. "Wait Victoria. Thy will be here in a moment I am sure." Thy, thankfully, arrived just then.

Thy looked them over "Nice, your colors are a good idea. OK I haven't been to this shrine. They are all set up about the same though, so the Miko or perhaps the new one will probably greet us on the path. I will need to go by the fountain and leave an offering before we do any business. Violence will not be tolerated. No matter who shows up, Oni Lee stops by everyday, it is not your job to arrest him, especially in the shrine precinct or if he is escorting the new Miko. Let the PRT and Protectorate sort that out. Lung has shown up on several occasions. Leave him alone here and on the pawprint sidewalks as well. Purity has been seen here as well. Just because she is not an adherent of Shinto doesn't mean the neutrality of the shrine does not extend to her. OK are we ready?"

Sarah Pelham, Lady Photon, the leader of New Wave looked around then nodded. Thy lead them into the shrine under the torii. Carol blinked. The shrine was full of people. Not crowded but definitely busy. It was also like entering a different world. You could actually feel it. "Welcome to Pawprint shrine." The young woman in the blindingly white big sleeved top and red, empire wasted divided skirt smiled as she greeted them. Thy bowed deeply and the girl returned a less deep bow. Thy smiled and moved down the path to the fountain.

Vicky, Glory Girl took over "Brushstroke! Hey! Let me introduce you to New Wave! Is Good Dog around?"

Taylor smiled "Sunny is somewhere, supervising Dinah last time I saw her. The Baachan are a little hyper today because Mrs. Henrick showed up with her husband and a master carpenter."

Vicky went through the introductions and they all got bows. Taylor led them down the path explaining the buildings and the rope circled tree. They followed perforce. At the steps of the main visible building Taylor excused herself and picked up a rod with T shaped pieces of paper with long legs attached and went to a line of people who were waiting and started waving the wand left to right in front of or in the case of one person in a wheel chair over them. Amy Dallon, Panacea, watched intently. Thy finished with her offering walked back up to the group. She grinned at Carol "So, not the horrible big bad you were expecting right?"

Sarah chuckled at Carols pinched face. Amy asked "What is Brushstroke doing?"

Thy smiled "In modern Shinto that is a gohei, the stick, it has shide attached to it. Folded in the Ise style which pretty much confirms this is a shrine to Amaterasu, the sun goddess. The architecture of the buildings is only allowed in those shrines dedicated to her as well. Miko were shamans. I would be willing to bet, the Miko intends that as a purification ritual. You should introduce yourself and check a couple of those people Amy. I bet they are cured of whatever ailed them or are on the way to a cure."

Amy blinked "A striker or blaster healer?" Amy wandered off and the younger crowd went with her.

Thy shrugged "If she is a parahuman at all. Her powers would be amazing."

Sarah nodded as they wandered one of the paths "You don't seemed convinced she is a parahuman."

Thy smiled "There are reports of events associated with gods from the earliest recorded histories. I judge her by her works."

Taylor caught up with the group "Sorry. It is a bit busy. Its not normally like this on Fridays. I guess the recent events with the Merchants have people nervous."

Thy smiled "Yes, I think so. You provide comfort and familiarity Miko."

Taylor sighed "I try. I'm still learning though."

"I heard you have some issues that might benefit from a lawyers touch? I came to offer my services to the shrine." Thy offered diffidently.

Taylor beamed at her "That would be wonderful! I got a call today out of the blue. Kaiser wants to meet with me tomorrow. The last time that happened, or something similar, Lung gave me these five lots. Purity helped me out then and made sure he paid all the back taxes and put some money in escrow for the future taxes on the properties. Of course then they all got drunk. It was a bit of a day."

Carol blinked "Purity?"

Taylor nodded "She apparently works in real estate. She has been very helpful and Sunny baby sits for her. Oh, if Sunny brings out the sake be careful. She apparently enjoys people dropping their inhibitions."

Sarah laughed "So much so that the PRT Director slaps them in M/S protocol until they sleep it off."

Taylor blushed as the adults chuckled. "Let me get the documents for you to look over Ms. Bui, or, you can come to the shamusho?"

Thy looked at the others "The shrine administrative office. Certainly." I think if you show us where we can handle it from there. I believe you are needed elsewhere Miko."

Taylor looked around and Dinah was standing there with Sunny. Dinah bowed "Miko, we are running low on charms and ema."

Taylor nodded "If you can get out my ink and brushes along with some paper and the wood we can make some more charms and ema. You can continue with your practice."

Dinah smiled and waved to the top of the steps of the haiden. The short easels and a table between two mats with two quartz heaters , one on either side were set up. "Sunny showed me how Miko."

Taylor smiled "Thank you Sunny. OK Let me show these folks to the office and I will join you Dinah."

Dinah and Sunny left and Taylor led them to the office then headed to the haiden. Carol looked at Thy "That isn't a dog."

Thy grinned "It is the Okami, the signature animal of Amaterasu, a wolf."

Mark Dallon shrugged "Seems friendly. I like this place. Its peaceful. I think I'll wander and talk to some folks while you ladies look over the shrines books and papers." Carol blinked.

Neil Pelham nodded "I'll come with. We will have to find the kids."

Sarah waved toward the haiden "Not hard to find. Amy is sitting on the steps healing people or checking the ones Brushstroke is healing and the rest are watching the Miko's art lesson."

Thy looked at the group at the haiden "Caligraphy. Making ofuda, charms. One of the main sources of income for the shrine. This ones only source of income for now."

Sarah looked over her shoulder. "Brushstroke is spending her reward money from the E88 capes on the shrine."

Carol looked up from the paperwork she was looking at "The PRT offered her a place in the Wards. She turned it down and they recognized her as a team, a rogue team. They also recognize the shrine as neutral ground. Wait, the Shrine and lanes and paths pertaining thereto. Wow that's broad. That could be taken to mean any road that connects to the shrine."

Thy nodded "Since the paths are marked and Sunny patrols them, plus they both travel them I think it would be taken to mean the pawprint sidewalks."

Sarah sighed "How does she stay here in the middle of ABB territory."

Thy snickered "Lung hit her the first time they met. In the temple precinct. Amaterasu hit him with a bolt of lightning. Probably only his regeneration saved him. She isn't Jesus. If you slight her she will kill you. Smacking the priestess of the shrine she is currently inhabiting? I don't know of anything that would be more of a slight."

"Those properties, his protection of the shrine, the union and leaning more toward legal business. Those are minor repayments. The Dragon has miles to go before he sleeps."

On the steps of the haiden Amy looked at Taylor "So you are a healer."

Taylor shrugged "It's Sunny."

Amy turned her head and Sunny noseprinted her cheek. "Gah! You are both nuts."

Sunny head butted her and Taylor laughed "Scratch between her ears. So are those people healed?"

Amy sighed "On the way to it. I didn't do anything besides check several and then you waved your wand and I checked them again. Something is going on. Its kind of slow motion compared to my healing though."

Taylor beamed "Oh that's good! And good to know. You should take Sunny with you to the hospital!"

Amy chuckled "I will have to see if they will let her in. There are some places where they use dogs for therapy. Maybe its like a accelerated version of that."

Dinah spoke up "If we can quantify it maybe Sunny can ask for a donation?"

Taylor nodded "How much do you get Amy?"

Amy blinked "I don't?"

Taylor frowned "Why not? I bet the hospitals are charging. Plus the doctors that call you in. You should take someone with you who could suggest a minimum donation."

Crystal Pelham, Laserdream, nodded "You know you are right Miko! We can do that."

Vicky nodded "That actually makes sense. I wonder if we could use like the medicare charges for a suggestion. I know the doctors bitch about how low they are."

Eric Pelham, Shielder, looked at her "I thought you were just flirting with those interns." Vicky gave him a glare. Vista bouncing up saved him. Taylor made trhe introductions.

Vista beamed at her "The Ema worked! I want another one!"

Crystal asked "What?"

Vista explained the whole thing and everyone wanted ema. Taylor smiled and painted them some. as Clockblocker walked over. Velocity, the escort again, had gotten trapped by the Baachan.

The outdoor heaters and gas mantel lanterns someone had brought were lit as the sun set.

Carol, Sarah and Thy had run the gauntlet of Baachan after getting an appreciation of the shrines books and were just coming to set up a time when Oni Lee walked in the gate. New Wave tensed, but he was his normal glacially calm self as he stood near the Miko waiting. She had risen to greet him and he had bowed and told her to finish with her training of the young Miko for the day and he would escort her home. Thy walked up to him "Kaiser wishes to see the Miko tomorrow."

Velocity had escaped the Baachan, well, not totally as he led Baachan over on his arm "Legend would like to talk to the Miko as well."

Before Taylor could open her mouth Baachan nodded "They can come for tea. three o'clock." Taylors jaw dropped open. Baachan looked at her "Do you not trust Baachan Miko?"

Taylors mouth snapped closed "I trust you Baachan."

Baachan beamed at her "Good. The pieces of your teahouse and rooms are ready. Men will be here at six am to start putting them up. By noon your teahouse will be ready. Correct Mr Nakashima?"

George nodded as he walked up, obviously used to the ways of Baachan "Of course. We will lay the gravel tonight and drill the foundation holes. It will take just a few minutes. My men are already working." He waved toward the shamusho. The others looked and men in coveralls were measuring and marking "Miko, can we review your drawings for the onsen?"

Taylor blinked "Beg pardon?"

George Henrick said "We found your plan on the pile of lumber. It's beautiful but we think it should be bigger. A separate inn and Onsen as well. We can track down the ownership of those lots around your boundary. Probably went back to the city for taxes anyway. Lung doesn't own them does he Mr. Lee?"

Oni Lee looked at a plat map and shook his head. He marked the map with his finger "No, all of these are not ours. The buildings are not fit for anything, they were not when we bought these."

George Nakashima nodded "We can increase the Shrine precinct and build the onsen and inn on it, make sure it is neutral ground."

Thy nodded "The honden and haiden could be expanded and the kagaru den rebuilt."

George nodded "Hai. My thoughts as well. A larger garden as well, more lawns and trees. This half of the block for the shrine and the other half for retail space. The rent can support the shrine and the Miko."

Baachan nodded and started pointing out plots "My bakery here, a tea house, a green grocer, a butcher, fish monger, some others I know. I will arrange it with Ms. Bui Miko."

Taylor blinked and laughed "I have one part time assistant."

Baachan looked at her and Taylor shuddered. Baachan nodded "I will arrange it Miko."

Oni Lee stepped in "I must escort the miko home Miko." He bowed to Taylor and offered his hand to a smiling Dinah.

The group broke up eventually, Taylor said her goodbyes then went around turning off heaters and Lanterns that weren't in use. The workmen had finished by the shamusho and set up floodlights in the area they were preparing for the tea room. On impulse she took her gohei and blessed the workmen and the site of both the tea house and the addition to the shamusho. Sunny chuffed at her. Taylor eyed her as they went in the office "What did you do?" Sunny grinned at her and shoved into her as she sat on her knees.

Constellations

Lung looked at Oni Lee "Tea with Kaiser and Legend at Three o'clock. So Kaiser moves to take over the shrine, or to get forgiveness from the Miko and Okami. I will require a suitable kimono and hakama." He looked at Oni Lee's smile he was somehow emoting past his mask and "Tch."

Constellations

Kaiser looked at Krieg "Tea, at three. Tea in that culture is very important. I will need a briefing on the salient points in case she pulls a tea ceremony on us as she supposedly did Lung."

Constellations

Legend looked at Velocity "Tea?"

Velocity nodded "A tea ceremony, very formal. It constrains the guest and host. It will actually prevent any untoward behavior. I'll walk you through it."

Emily nodded "We have the thinkers and our cultural advisors working on it. A striker or blaster healer?"

Velocity shrugged "More evidence she is a priestess in the ancient sense. A Shaman."

Emily looked at Chessman "Your daughter is full of surprises."

Danny nodded "Not sure whether to be horrified or proud. I'll go by tomorrow and see if she needs anything."

Constellations

Taylor woke up and stretched then grinned. Today would be fun. In a horrifying, ton of work, kind of way of course. She washed up and got in her exercise clothes. She went outside and stretched then took off on her run, sprinkling greetings and smiles on early risers. In a few cases late homecomers.

When she returned the workmen were already present and trucks were lining up at the gate of the shrine. She greeted them and returned their bow and went in to get breakfast. Sunny trotted over from where she was looking at the plan with George.

The beauty of Japanese carpentry is that it uses no nails. The tea house and addition to shamusho had already been built and assembled. Checked for fit and function and then disassembled and loaded on trucks. The ground prep and plumbing connections would take the longest time. After that the buildings would be assembled in a couple of hours. Assuming a big enough crew. Taylor got herself and Sunny breakfast, they discussed Aster and Purity as they ate and Taylor dressed, then Taylor took Sunny's brush and went to the steps of the haiden. She brushed Sunny and watched the workmen as the sun came up.

By seven the floor of both the addition and teahouse were laid, or built, on the post in the ground. Taylor looked toward the Torii to see five girls from eight to fifteen dressed in the white haori and red hakama arrive with their parents. Sunny greeted them with happy barking. Taylor set about her daily task around the shrine while smiling and giving instructions to the happy, smiling, girls after greeting their parents. Dinah showed up in her haori and hakama and joined right in. Taylor arched a brow at Sunny's completely innocent face. She went and started some lunch.

The vrrr of Segway's announced the arrival of the Baachan collective at eight and the panels and roof deck went on the teahouse just in time. By the time the collective were greeted the interior of the teahouse was finished enough to begin a practice with the new miko and Dinah watching as the workmen finished around them and the tile roof went on.

Taylor, sure this would be exhausting, instead had fun. The girls did too as two of the older girls and Dinah were selected to guide Legend and Kaiser plus any who accompanied them through the ceremony.

The addition to the office, a bedroom, bathroom and galley kitchen, were finished along with all the facilities of the tea house by noon and the Baachan started cooking. The Baachan stayed, waiting until a delivery of tools and a scroll was made. Taylor was blown away buy the tea tools and now got nervous as she learned the history of a set of tea tools five hundred years old and a scroll a thousand years old.

The Baachan looked at Sunny when it was all delivered. Sunny returned her look evenly. Baachan bowed. Work including landscaping continued at a furious pace and Taylor, plus the three selected girls were taken to dress and have their hair done. Requiring a constant stream of women and girls into the Miko's quarters. Thy Bui showed up and was dressed as well.

Kayden called to warn Taylor she had been drafted to be Kaisers plus one since she knew her already. Kaiser had finally managed to talk to her over the phone and Kayden had, somewhat gleefully and fully spitefully told him what had happened. She had pointed out the Miko and Sunny had been fully distracted, as had Oni Lee and Lung which was the point of the mission. The rescue had failed because Chessman outsmarted him, not because Purity had not killed a teenage girl who she liked.

Baachan went out to survey the four and a half mat tea area teahouse and was pleased. It would be ready in plenty of time. It was a perfect fit with the shrine architecture. Nakashima was to be congratulated. They were ready, Taylor was ready, the guides were ready. The formal questions and answers for Legend were ready. The Miko was a white girl who started training late and had not had much. It would be the height of rudeness to make a complaint. Of course it was Lung. But the Okami would be there.

Danny arrived and was let in to a seat behind a rice paper divider to talk to Taylor as the final stages of her preparation were made "How you doing little owl?"

Taylor smiled "Fine Dad. When did you get here? Sorry but I am getting my warpaint on."

Danny laughed "That's what your mom used to call it. A few minutes ago. You got a new building and an addition I see."

"Mr Nakashima. I have no idea how I am going to pay him." Taylor fretted.

Danny laughed "He already put a sign up on the wall outside advertising, in a very tasteful way of course, you don't have to worry about paying him. Our house is going to be the same. Completely rebuilt with a tasteful sign mentioning Nakashima carpentry and DWU as the builders. I bought the lots around us from the city, or the owners who wanted to leave. They are clearing our house off, removing those houses, and building a house fit for the Miko. They did, or rather, are salvaging as much of the old house as they can. The other houses as well."

"Do you need a place to stay dad? I can sleep in the office and you can use my room here?" Taylor asked setting the Baachan to smiling and twittering.

"Oh no Taylor. I have a room at work too. I haven't used it much to now. Not to change the subject, but Legend told me to tell you not to be nervous." Danny added.

Taylor laughed "Somehow I'm not. Lung is the only one who has ever seen a real tea ceremony, and I am going to do my best but really geisha, masters of this, study for years and apprentice for more before they do one for real. I think I can manage the best one on the east coast."

Baachan added "They are the ones honored to be served by the Miko. George Nakashima knows well the value of being allowed to construct in the shrine as well. It will make his career."

Danny chuckled "Well, your girls outside are certainly very poised and are handling the media very well."

Taylor squeaked "Media?"

Danny chuckled "Taylor you are hosting a negotiation between the largest Asian gang, the largest Nazi gang and the Protectorate. Even if it isn't intended that way that is the effect. There are so many TV lights out there the grass is growing I think. Sunny is certainly being very regal about it all."

Taylor sighed "Oh, thank god I brushed her."

Danny laughed "So I shouldn't tell you about her leading the reporters over to the onsen site?"

"Oh god please no. Tell me you are joking!" Taylor nearly shrieked and Baachan tsked.

Danny chuckled "Nope. She did and George Nakashima had your drawing pinned up on a board. Did you know you apparently drew it using some architectural style only used in shrines dedicated to Amaterasu? That scroll hanging in the outdoor tea room is apparently from Kyushu. Everyone thought it was lost. Some Japanese network is here and the reporter waxed lyrical about the shrine and everything she is seeing in both English, perfect English by the way, in case you run into her, and Japanese. She knew the history of the shrine too. It was built by or rather for a Miko, Kiyoko Lee. Maybe at her suggestion. That part was a bit unclear."

Taylor sucked in a breath and Baachan put a folded cloth to first one eye then another. A different baachan fanned her face. "Oni Lee's sister. He said she sold charms at the shrine. I never put it together until just now. She was Miko here."

Baachan supplied "And in Ise Jingu. Her family came here after Kyushu. Oni Lee, Kyosuke, was already lost to, to, well, to everyone. His power some say. A bad crowd I always said. Those he ran with were bad. All dead in Kyushu though. Kyushu was bad, a bad place that turned the people bad when the powered people showed up. Like Gary. It didn't deserve Leviathan though. Japan was afraid. Kyushu wasn't the only place the tidal waves flooded, just the worst. Some say Kiyoko Lee was sent here on a mission from the Emperor. Oni Lee came here later, after she was killed. There was nothing of Kyosuke left." Baachan shrugged and smiled "An old woman's tales. You are ready beautiful one. Let's see what your father thinks."

Taylor came around the screen as it was pushed back to its mate and Danny gaped. Then he tossed eleven army men on the floor and made them grow. They were samurai, in tosei gusoku armor with brightly polished or gold-plated sun emblems on their helmets. "An honor guard for the most beautiful woman in town. To make a father feel better."

Taylor hugged her father and Baachan smiled and tutted and dabbed at her eyes then her own. Taylors makeup wasn't the white face makeup of the maiko but the perfect natural colored makeup of the full, mature, geisha. Enhancing rather than changing the natural beauty of a young girl who could grace runways the world over. Much more in keeping with the Miko of the Shrine of Amaterasu. Her kimono was bright, nearly painfully, white, though with the big sleeves of the unmarried woman and it had a delicate spray of cherry blooms in the palest pink with deep red centers, just a few tiny stitches each, drifting up it in a spiral that boggled the mind how it stayed that way. Danny smiled "May we escort you outside Miko?"

Baachan sprang up "Pictures!" She pushed and pulled the fearsome lion dog armored, full daisho armed, samurai around into the position she wanted and smartphones with cameras came out, then the Baachan told them how she wanted them to come outside and tottered out herself.

Sunny trotted in and took position on Taylors right. They exited the slide open screen with Sunny's red orange markings in full play in the late afternoon sun. The shrine precinct full of visitors, already looking toward the Miko's house took one look and bowed deeply. Including the newswoman from Japan and her camera man.

Velocity announced "Ladies and Gentlemen, The High Priestess of Pawprint Shrine, Brushstroke, and the Okami, Sunshine!" In English and flawless Japanese. Then he bowed until he was completely horizontal. Raised up and bowed again.

Taylor returned the bows with one to about a forty five degree angle. Danny led her toward the torii on his arm with her guard formed up around her.

The news people maintained a hushed machinegun stream of at least four languages keying off the translation of their Japanese colleague being spoken into their earpieces. Dinah and the two chosen Miko assistants stepped out of the office in full kimono, as beautiful and well presented as Taylor with their colors being slightly brighter and more red.

The other Miko were in their normal uniforms but they were spotless and the girls flawless. Thy appeared in a beautiful kimono and took up a position behind and to the left of Taylor as she stopped off to the right side of the torii still on the cobblestone at five minutes before three o'clock.

Just in time as it turned out as Legend arrived in a deeply black Jon Green suit and bright white shirt with Black tie. He was wearing a black domino mask. Arthur his husband got out of the van behind him wearing the same, except with a red tie. The van pulled away and Legend led them to Taylor then bowed deeply. Arthur bowed with him. Legend smiled "Miko, Sunshine, its an honor and a privileged. I can't tell you how happy I am to be here. May I present my husband Arthur?"

Taylor beamed at him "Welcome to Pawprint shrine." She bowed slightly. "We hope you find some respite here."

Arthur sighed "I already have Miko! It's wonderful. I spent years in Japan. Shrines always feel so wonderful." He looked around "It's beautiful, so, dedicated to Amaterasu then?"

Legend looked a little stunned as his husband took over the conversation. Dinah and the two guide Miko were introduced and after a few more words from Arthur to a smiling Taylor, Dinah led them away chattering away about the shrine and the things they were seeing and the normal procedure. Taylor would have to find out who her baachan was and do something nice for her.

Taylor watched as a limousine pulled up with a powerful rumble and Kaiser dismounted followed by Kreig, in black tie quite as upscale as Legend and Arthurs. Kreig was carrying a folio. The two froze for just a moment looking at the lights of the video cameras and the crowd and then approached Taylor. They both bowed and when they stood Taylor smiled at them and gave a slight bow "Welcome to Pawprint shrine. Violence is not permitted here."

One of the Kimono wearing Miko, Melissa, stepped up to Taylor and translated her words into German. Kaiser and Kreig blinked and bowed again. Kaiser said "Of course Miko. We are honored to be invited."

Taylor looked at her Miko and said "Melissa will be your guide and answer any questions during the ceremony."

Kaiser nodded "Thank you Miko. I have read about tea ceremony and been briefed, but a guide would be helpful." Melissa bowed and led them off to take them through the opening stages and Taylor turned back to the gate just in time for a group of people wearing 'Local 433' jackets to move down the street and take up positions, none on the pawprint sidewalks. Taylor frowned slightly, barely even.

This of course didn't pass the reporters notice. The Japanese reporter hissed and launched a string of Japanese.

Setsuko, the oldest of the Miko stepped up to Taylor "Lung!" she growled. Taylor beamed at her.

A black Escalade slid up to the torii and Oni Lee got out and opened the door. As always he was in dark haori and hakama. Lung stepped out in dark charcoal kimono and hakama and Taylor beamed at him. He arched forward with Oni Lee following and stopped in front of Taylor. He and Oni Lee bowed and Taylor returned it with Setsuko "Welcome to Pawprint shrine Lung, Oni Lee."

Lung returned in a well modulated voice "It is an honor Miko."

"Setsuko will assist you with anything you need Lung, Oni Lee." Lung bowed again and Setsuko moved off leading the two men as Taylor returned the bow. The reporters started to move but the Samurai came to alert poses and they all froze. Taylor turned and lead to the teahouse talking to her father about what would happen.

The guest were escorted to the small waiting room of the tea house and Lung and Oni Lee changed into fresh tabi as the others were provided Tabi. They inspected the scroll and Lung hissed. Arthur nodded "Yes I think so as well." He explained to the others "The scroll hung in a shrine in Kyushu. For hundreds of years."

Lung snorted "How she does these things, even if it is some trickery, is beyond me."

Legend stepped forward and introduced Arthur around as Dinah circulated with a tray of warm water or sakurayu. Lung chortled a bit and Arthur arched a brow. Oni Lee supplied "Sakurayu, literally to make clear. Cherry blossom tea. A message for you I think Kaiser."

Kaiser asked "For me?"

Lung laughed "I have already had my lesson. Her father is in the Protectorate. I see no one else the lesson could be for."

Legend sighed "It's a harsh world. Perhaps it's a hope for all of us to see our way clear."

Lung chortled some more "It's a chaji. Lets see if you feel so charitable in four hours. After kneeling for that whole time."

Arthur smiled "A full chaji. I have never been to one."

Setsuko nodded "Honored guest are ready? This way please." She led them through the door to the roji.

Dinah explained "As you have already purified when we came into the temple precincts we will be moving to the niijiri guchi. Legend and his guest will go through the door first. Followed by Lung and Oni Lee and Kaiser and his guest."

Oni Lee and Lung nodded satisfied. Kaiser asked "Is there a reason for this?"

Dinah replied clearly as they moved slowly along "Legend is seen as the highest guest. Lung has recognized the neutrality of the Miko and the shrine, you are as yet an unkown quantity Kaiser."

Krieg nodded "Es ist richtig."

Melissa translated for the others "This is correct." Everyone understood then that everything would be in the open here. Krieg chuckled first, but the others followed along.

Arthur smiled "So the tea was a warning then."

Dianah smiled "If you cannot sit sieza, we understand. It is uncommon in the west. Crosslegged would be fine, you have all been provided yakuta in place of your jackets, those of you not in Kimono."

Lung nodded "Unusual but smart. We wouldn't want to wait the hour Kimono and hakama would take for you to change into. Though I expect the Miko has some ready in case anyone had objected to the Yakuta."

Arthur sighed "I am going to have to get trained for a full tea ceremony."

Oni Lee chuckled "There are many baachan, grandmothers, here who would be glad to provide you the discipline."

Lung nodded "Usually with a wooden spoon."

Kaiser laughed "So like growing up at my home then."

Legend looked at the small door into the tea room "First is an honor? Or is it to see how ungainly I can actually look?"

They entered and examined the things in the room. Legend and Arthur folded into sieza and Krieg was prompted to close the door firmly by the guides who had padded in near silently and seated themselves behind the guest.

Taylor entered, bowed, and greeted each guest. Legend asked the prepared questions Dinah had slipped him and Taylor lit the charcoal in the brazier.

Lung looked at Legend who shrugged "Aikido." He motioned to himself and Arthur.

Kaiser chuckled "Kendo and Iaido."

Lung nodded "Mother." The others chuckled genially.

The meal portion of the ceremony began and Taylor even had a little sake. Lung chuckled "The same sake as the Okami provided last time Miko?"

Taylor smiled "No, nor so much either. No pouting. We can drink tea informally some other time and you can drink all the heroes under the table again then. Looking back on it it was funny. It was only horrifying as it was happening."

Oni Lee offered "You were the only one sober Miko. That is always horrifying." The others laughed.

Kaiser shook his head "How is it I didn't notice the Okami until she was mentioned?"

Sunny was lying behind where Taylor sat head up and alertly observing the guest. She was the size of a horse. She smiled and Arthur laughed.

Taylor sighed "Baachan will be upset when I tell her how informal this has become."

Krieg reached for the portfolio and Melissa leaned forward and whispered to him that there would be a informal portion later and that was probably better left to then. Kaiser had leaned over slightly and heard the whispered German. They both nodded.

The dinner portion concluded and the guest were led back to the little waiting area by Legend. He took the opportunity to address both the other principle guest "I find myself in a bit of a quandry and I know Alexandria is going to flip when she hears about this."

Kaiser shrugged "We are in a truce right now while the Merchants are dealt with. Truth, my organization, while not weak enough to concede territory and admitting nothing, is being forced into transition."

Lung laughed "At tooth point. At least she didn't strike you with lightning."

Legend looked at him. "So that really happened then."

Lung shrugged "You would have to ask Oni Lee. I don't remember much of it exactly. I find myself in the position of being able to make more money if I am not spending so much on lawyers however. I would like to continue that."

Kaiser nodded "I hope to put myself in that position and make amends to the Miko for one of my employees burning down her fathers work and lifelong dream. I had no knowledge of it until all to late I'm afraid."

Legend pinched the bridge of his nose "I get the feeling you are both sincere. Kaiser where is Purity?"

Kaiser winced "She informed the Miko of the deal I was proposing and her thoughts on it. I am apparently unable to reconcile with her and the Miko has taken up her defense. Or the Okami has. My son keeps sending me pictures of my daughter surrounded by wolf or sleeping on ones back."

Lung laughed until he bent over. When he finally got control again he stood up and clapped Kaiser on the shoulder "Welcome to dealing with the Miko and the Kami. Mere mortals simply follow her whims."

Arthur asked slyly "Which ones?"

Oni Lee asked "Is there a difference? The Kami acts through either of them or both at the same time."

Out in the street in front of the shrine the Samurai of Chessman were putting on a sword fighting display with bokken. It was going live to Japan and was causing dropped jaws in the Kendo community.

A gong sounded and the Japanese reported trotted back into the shrine and did a standup announcing the end of the nakadachi while the guest purified themselves again or were coached through it as necessary again.

Nobody noticed Chessman and most of the protectorate slipping away and leaving Triumph and the wards, and the Samurai.

Back in the tearoom Taylor started the formal tea service and could barley suppress her smile as it went perfectly. Lung and Oni Lee bowed deeply acknowledging this and the miko behind the guest beamed. Taylor cleaned the service and left the room coming back in with more charcoal and Lung looked at Arthur "You will never see a more correct tea preparation and service than that."

Melissa leaned forward and told Krieg quietly that this was the informal portion. Satsuko took over serving. Bringing in a tobacco set and some more confections while Taylor waited on the water for the thin tea to heat.

In the temple precinct the Japanese reporter gave a glowing report on the tea ceremonies wonderful progress from unnamed Baachan, erh, sources. Really everyone had seen her talking to the Baachan collective as they bustled back and forth from the office to the tea house. Everyone ducked when automatic weapons fire was heard followed by a huge fireball rolling skyward in the boat graveyard.

In the tearoom Lung growled and Legend nodded "We expected the merchants to try something once they realized the tea ceremony was going on."

Lung nodded "My forces are on alert protecting the shrine as well."

Kaiser admitted "As is Purity and some of my associates. She insisted. Miko, in that vein although separately I find myself in the position of having offended you. One of my associates is the one who burned done the Union hall. While it was not me I am the leader of the Empire. You have my abject and heartfelt apology. As a small token of that I would like to gift you these properties that are either contiguous to the shrine precinct or very close to it." He unzipped the folio and lay out the deeds and a plat map. Thy who had been silently watching rose and sat beside Taylor looking at the property deeds and watching the description of where the properties were. Legend and the others rose and looked at the map as Kaiser explained. Kaiser finished and Lung opened his mouth but didn't say anything when Oni Lee bumped him unobtrusively and nodded to Sunny.

Sunny was staring at Kaiser hard. Lung smiled and waited. Taylor looked and then nodded "For the offense we accept these properties. We wonder what your paln for the future to avoid other such offenses might be?"

Lung was so happy he could have kissed the Okami. She snapped her head to him and lolled her tongue out and he froze. He was still vibrating with joy at seeing Kaiser of all people under the same knife that was on his neck. He wasn't about to incur anymore debt however.

Kaiser was smooth though "Truthfully Miko until I can determine the status of my associates I cannot tell you. I, like your friend Lung, would like to extend my guarantee of neutrality to the Shrine and yourself."

Taylor nodded as Setsuko prepared the thin tea service tools, Dinah brought cushions, and the guest settled again.

Taylor was deep in thought as she prepared the thin tea and served each guest. Again her service was perfect. She finally offered "Hookwolf cannot stay or ever have the chance to return to Brockton Bay. All of his assets will be turned over to the DWU."

"You will cease your illegal activities like Lung has begun doing. Yes, yes Legend I know about the whore houses and the gambling. But those people on both sides want to be there. Sunny has checked the ones in ABB territory and will be checking the ones in Empire territory from now on. Those are not parahuman crimes though. They are regular crimes and the regular authorities can handle them if the parahumans are not thwarting them. We will need years to educate people away from that lifestyle, those lifestyles. These drug addicts too."

"We will also need years to reeducate people away from the hatred and mistrust both of your organizations breed and foster. That neither, or rather, any of you believe in. You all will contribute to that reeducation and trust building that we have started here at the shrine."

"I despise the very idea of the Birdcage. Everyone in it will have their case reviewed by a neutral party. Perhaps I can get a international tribune together. No one will be sent to it without that tribune or neutral parties approval. Yes Legend. The Protectorate and PRT are not innocent in all of this."

Kaiser sat for a moment then nodded. Taylor told him "I will judge you by your works. Or rather you will be judged by your works."

Conversation paused then jerked back to a more neutral course and everyone blinked. The ceremony finished with Lung wanting to groan as they examined the tea tools. He could recognize the design and age. These were probably five hundred years old. She had done it again. The guest were guided away as Taylor bowed from the door. She turned weak in the knees and was caught in an ecstatic hug by Thy and then passed around the Baachan and Sunny like a party favor. Then she was hustled out to meet the guest and farewell them in the shrine precinct.

As they left New Wave flew back in slightly mussed. Vicky landed with Amy. "How did it go? Bit of a scuffle while you were busy. The PRT was waiting on the Merchants when they got frisky though, so it really wasn't much. We did some search and rescue and Amy had to treat a few. Not near so many as I thought with all that gunfire. Somehow your dads troops weapons sound like guns but act like tasers. He is total tinker bullshit."

Taylor gaped at her an minute then sat on the bench nearest the gate and laughed "It was exhausting. So are you." Amy giggled and Vicky pouted.

Crystal smiled "That might actually be a compliment from someone who just threw a four hour dinner party for Lung, Kaiser, and Legend and they all left talking and smiling. Oh and one of the plus ones was Oni Lee."

Taylor smirked "Kaiser gave me two and half city blocks."

Carol went to find Thy. Sarah asked "He tried to bribe you?"

Taylor shook her head "A personal apology, and it was mostly worthless and a tax burden to him but it borders the shrine precinct so it is useful to me. Somehow without managing to take responsibility for Hookwolf doing it he managed to apologize for that asshole burning down the DWU. Plus I kinda read him the riot act about illegal activities. She blushed ferociously "Oh god I read the riot act to Legend over the birdcage as well!"

Sarah put her hand on her chest "Whew. OK, so all good then. The PRT was getting a little free shoving people in there. Some people in their custody have disappeared too. You need to ask him about that when he comes back."

Taylor blinked "Back?"

Sarah laughed "Arthur will have him back here in the morning. I could see designing a shrine precinct all over him now that you said that about the land. You did know he is an architect who studied in Japan right?"

Taylor huffed "Can I hide in my room?"

Vicky dragged her to her feet "Oh they finished it! Show me, show me!" Sarah laughed as the girls dragged Taylor away and Sunny followed snickering like mutley. She wandered off to find Carol.

Sarah found Carol with Thy who was relaxing with a cup of sake "You should have seen it. Fucking Kaiser was so smug, thinking he was going to get away with it all. She ate his lunch. Lung was smiling like an idiot and she ate his lunch too. Legend was looking all self satisfied and she let him have it over the birdcage. Which is effectively a death sentence. I bet there is a way out of there soon."

"The Baachan were ecstatic over her tea service and she was erudite well informed and had good opinions on anything they asked her. It would have never done for a tea service in Japan but it was perfect for her audience. Her service was perfect but they didn't know how to act. Aside from Lung and he is Lung. She went with the flow but controlled it. Like a Geisha matron. They all had fun until she channeled the kami then they had fun again until they left. Now, is the war over?"

Carol was looking over the deeds and Thys notes "No, closer though. Chessman handed them a ass whipping. Do not get on that guys bad side."

Thy drummed her fingers on the folding table under the heater they were sitting at "He is a widower. His wife has been dead a few years now. He is very tall."

Sarah grinned "And has a daughter so powerful we can't even tell if she is a parahuman."

Carol snorted "Who will smear you across the landscape like a grease spot."

Thy nodded "Give me a few months to work into things with Taylor. I can see how Danny is at the same time. He is so awkward its adorable."

Carol sighed "Christ. It's like high school again."

Thy snapped her fingers "Speaking of which, I want to take a run at those fucks and that drunk fuck who killed Annette. I hate drunk drivers."

Carol nodded "Everyone knows. You destroy them in court constantly."

Sarah nodded at the sake bottle and arched a brow. Thy waved her off and produced two cups from somewhere "I can crash in the Miko's office. Her pallet is still in there. You two have designated fliers. Somebody has to supervise the slumber party Vicky is planning."

Constellations

Kaiser sighed and downed the excellent scotch and poured himself another. Krieg chuckled "Fucking Lung makes it work. We have to be able to figure it out."

Kaiser saluted him with his glass "Plus Legend is half way onside. Not about Hookwolf but a sacrifice may have to be made and I don't know how he would fit in an organization that was mostly legal."

Krieg nodded "True."

Kaiser added "Potentially this keeps Purity in the area with my children, without a ten million dollar legal bill as well."

Constellations

Lung looked at Oni Lee grinning like a monkey "She fucked that Nazi over worse that me. He should have took the lightning."

"Legend didn't escape either." He paused a moment "Fuck! She helped me! Damnit! All work done for the Miko at cost. Two can play this game Kami."

Oni Lee didn't say anything. He looked at this phone and the text telling him Dinah was staying at the shrine.


	2. Chapter 2

Constellations

Big Omake 2

Taylor awoke at her customary early hour, even after the late night with the girls. A wholly new experience. She smiled at the girls scattered around her eight and a half tatami room, in pairs, on futons covered by blankets. Only in the center of the room, a half mat spot above the grate for the heating element for her table was there a cleared space.

Mr. Nakashima having adapted to the climate in north America had put in a large enough heater to warm the room. His walls, as opposed to those of true period Japanese construction, also included insulation in the form of rock wool as the infill in the post and beam construction. The beautiful hardwood floors were raised from the ground and insulated from the bottom in the joist bays as well. Then they were covered by tatami. Only in the sliding doors was there an uninsulated surface. That door connected to her office as well. Not directly to the outside. The paper in it was also double layered with a spacer, covered in high tech coatings, those panels filled with krypton, a large molecule chemically inert gas at room temperature and the door had cleverly hidden seals.

The door from the kitchen to the outside was a normal door. A fireproof, security door in fact. Taylor opened a chest, a beautiful lacquered chest donated by a family, and removed her exercise clothes before padding to the bathroom then out through her attached kitchen to greet the dawn. Sunny joined her as she stretched and did a little yoga for flexibility. Sunny of course had the downward facing dog down pat. Her warrior three needed a bit of work, and maybe some different joints.

"Good Morning Sunny!" Taylor smiled, mushed her face, and kissed her. Sunny licked her back. Taylor led on the run and greeted the early risers.

The run took them a bit far afield this morning as Taylor was thinking as she ran. She finally noticed she was in the edge of the boat graveyard section. Where the battle last night had occurred. The PRT and local Police were sifting through the evidence. Taylor sighed sadly and turned toward the Shrine. She was nearly there on the eastward pawprint sidewalk when she came across a woman staggering down the sidewalk. She immediately moved to help her with Sunny when the woman collapsed. Taylor loaded her onto Sunny and headed for the shrine.

She got the woman off Sunny and into the office waking Thy, and their conversation brought the girls. Amy automatically healed the woman. She looked at Vicky who went to their things and brought back a domino mask they put on the woman. "Parahuman."

Taylor huffed "Oh, you can tell about her in seconds."

Amy gave her a bit of a glare "She isn't the all powerful wizard of Amaterasu." Sunny head butted her where she was kneeling by the woman. "Excuse me, shaman. She is going to be hungry. I cured her of several addictions and the effects of those. Good thing. She really didn't have much longer."

Taylor stood up "Let's put her on a futon in my room and we can get started on breakfast. I was going to shower and go back to bed."

Setsuko nodded "As you should. Leaving me in a cold bed. Since you are showering anyway we can clean this one up before we put her in bed."

Melissa smiled "I'll start on breakfast while you two do that."

Crystal grinned at her "I see what you did there."

Melissa laughed "You can help."

Vicky sighed and bent over picking the woman up "Come on. Apparently, we are done sleeping."

Taylor's bathroom was well broken in an hour later and the room and kitchen was full of girls in yakuta with towels on their heads when the Baachan arrived and came in the kitchen door. Taylor was glad her room was so big, as it was filled with Miko, New Wave women, Baachan, the found woman, and Thy. She was running low on zabutons and chairs by the time everyone was mostly seated. Baachan kept cooking and serving. It was their nature really.

This was the world Danny and Velocity arrived to. Velocity waited in the office and sent Danny into the lion's den. He knocked diffidently then squawked a bit when Taylor slid the door open and leapt on him. The Baachan judged everyone decent so Velocity was brought in as well. Danny and he looked at the woman on the pallet. Danny nodded "Your prisoner is Squealer."

Taylor sighed "I thought as much. She was on a pawprint sidewalk headed for the Shrine. She was wounded and ill. Amy fixed her."

Thy started mulling that over and talking to the Baachan in Japanese. Danny nodded "After the fight last night there was apparently a schism in the ranks of the Merchants. They had some kind of internal struggle that continued until this morning."

Amy sighed and Vicky got out her phone "We'll do Search and Rescue."

Danny waved her down, "Ongoing as we speak, mostly finished. The casualties have been moved to the hospitals and we are doing clean up."

Amy frowned "Squealer was on several drugs that had been tinked. Not in a good way."

Velocity nearly growled "Apparently that's how Skidmark got his people. He addicted them to those, either without their knowledge or in a few cases by force. We will need your help with curing those Panacea."

One of the baachan spoke up "And her assistance is worth what, exactly?"

Velocity blanched and called the console subvocalizing. Amy opened her mouth and Setsuko poked her and shook her head. There was no sense in protesting the will of the Baachan.

Crystal and Vicky watched amazed as the Baachan negotiated the cost of rehab for the Merchants. It was fairly cheap, but still the first time Amy was getting paid. They liked it. How did the Baachan know what Medicare would pay for rehab?

Danny nodded "You should get paid for your work Panacea. OK, we will take Squealer and go then."

Thy shook her head "She was obviously intending to seek shelter in the shrine, an accorded neutral area. She was on a pawprint sidewalk, again an accorded neutral space."

Baachan spoke up "You two men can talk about that and discuss it with the PRT outside. The Miko and Thy need to get dressed for the day."

Danny and Velocity found themselves outside and in a conversation with Director Piggot, Armsmaster, and Legend. Emily sat at her desk with the others conferenced into the call "So it is the opinion of the lawyers that The Miko could deny her sanctuary and force her out. Until then we cannot take her from the Shrine."

Danny nodded then spoke "The Miko can't deny her sanctuary. It would put her in an untenable position."

Legend added "I concur. Nothing says we can't continue the investigation and even interview Squealer. It's possible we could even bring the case to court, if she is convicted, then the Miko could be forced to surrender her for her sentence."

Hiram Dagget, lead counsel for the PRT added "It's possible, likely even, with her being addicted to these tinked drugs, she was non-compos mentis and will draw some kind of community service and a fine, perhaps have to pay restitution. Meanwhile Brushstroke and Good Dog get the reward for her capture."

Emily snorted "How many girls is this one girl."

Hiram laughed "We did this to ourselves. For herself, she is Taylor Hebert, the Miko of Pawprint Shrine. We gave her a totally separate legal identity."

Legend added "And happy to be just that. Arthur is chomping at the bit to get over there and offer his services. I will talk to her later."

Hiram nodded "Thy Bui is the shrine counsel. I will go with you. She is good. And obviously committed to this. Not doubting your abilities, but the Miko already has us over barrel with the Birdcage thing. Even a cursory look at the cases shows some of those sentences to be arbitrary and capricious. We are going to get to find a way to get a few of those people out of there and into a prison that isn't a life sentence."

Dragon chimed in "Unless Good Dog has a way to get them out that will be a problem."

Legend sighed "That negotiation has years to go yet and we will find a way to deal with the outcome. As long as we are seen to be making strides, the first being a clear cut inviolable criterion for a sentence to Bauman Correctional, the Birdcage, we should be alright. The Miko is a pragmatic young woman. She knows things don't change instantly."

Emily added "Plus the Chief Director has yet to weigh in."

Legend laughed "I think after what has happened to Lung and Kaiser we don't want to oppose the Miko on things she is right about. We all know the Birdcage is a tool the politicians use. I think it just became political suicide for them to continue that. I think one tea with the Miko will get them to realize that."

Hiram slipped back into the conversation "Purity, Rune, Othala, a lot of the Empire capes cases are sketchy. Years ago, women were sent to convents. I wonder if precedent was established, so those, at least the women, could be made Miko if the Miko would accept them, at least for the duration of a sentence or probation, or until restitution is paid."

Emily thoughtfully added "An interesting thought but I think putting the cart before the horse."

Dragon waited for the silence then said "I will be there today. Narwhal may be there as well. The Guild wants to meet the Miko."

Legend laughed "Lung is going to make a fortune leasing facility for diplomatic missions."

Emily groaned "Surely people will realize this is still Brockton Bay? Highest per capita villainous capes in the world other than Gary?"

Legend chuckled "And not a quarantine zone due to your and Armsmaster's team's efforts, which we appreciate."

Danny sighed "If Taylor can help fix the Bay, maybe the number of triggers will go down. Plus, she has apparently figured out a way to put pressure on Lung, and Kaiser, that they understand."

"The ruthless application of brute force. A lightning bolt, Sunshine, and us. She has made a start. We will try to help her out. OK Arthur is glaring so I will see you in a few minutes Chessman." Legend finished the call.

Taylor and the other Miko had made it outside. They went about the business of the shrine under the watchful eyes of news cameras. Vicky, Amy, and Crystal helped. The heaters were lit, it was a chilly morning, and the Baachan moved out to their now tradition set of seats where they could observe and be seen observing. One stayed with Squealer.

George Nakashima arrived and Thy took him in the office to show him what they had to work with now.

Legend and Arthur arrived and Taylor, mostly greeting people now while she supervised new Miko, escorted them to the office and linked Arthur up with George and Thy.

Legend walked with Taylor "So. Squealer."

Taylor sighed "Sunny thinks it's hilarious." Legend laughed. Taylor glared at him slightly "It's not funny. It's all on the job training for life and death stakes here."

Legend smiled "You will make the right decision Miko. Plus, you have help now."

Taylor grinned impishly "And lots of room for gardens!"

Legend laughed "Arthur will be crushed. He loves Japanese carpentry."

Taylor sighed "He can build the shops around the outer wall." Taylor sat at her easel on top of the stairs "This is what I had in mind."

Arthur, George and Thy found them just as New Wave and Dragon arrived. Arthur nodded "My thoughts as well Miko. One row of shops around the outside of that half of the block. Make it a walking district. These other lots are doubles as well actually, so you have most of the block to your west and all of the one to your south. We could talk to the city and shut this street and double the interior shrine precinct while keeping the row of retail space all around both blocks." Taylor nodded and put torii on both ends of the street right at the sidewalk. Arthur and George nodded and bowed.

"Big enough for emergency vehicles I think. Our buildings are wood. I think a clinic for Amy near one of the gates as well." Taylor smiled at the girl. Amy blushed.

Carol nodded "You know that's a good idea. Good morning Miko. You've been busy."

Taylor rolled her eyes "Sunny thought I needed a challenge." Sunny lay her huge head in Taylors lap.

Carol laughed and waved "Purity would be a challenge. Squealer was non-compos mentis until you girls got a hold of her."

Purity had walked up pushing a stroller with Theo "Why am I a challenge?"

Sunny jumped up, then went and stuffed her head in the stroller. Everyone smiled at the squealing laughter.

Carol looked at Purity "I guess I should have known from the rumors flying around PHO. You aren't wearing red and white under that glow are you?"

Purity reduced her glow and everyone laughed at her red top and white skirt with her white domino mask, Purity grinned "Well now that you mention it."

Carol sighed "Oh my god. Thy, if you pull that off this place will be covered in parahumans."

Thy smiled "Purity let's talk. Hiram I'll talk to you in a few minutes. Miko can we borrow your office?"

Taylor nodded and pointed to a place on the drawing "An office for Thy next to Amy's clinic."

Setsuko appeared and bowed "Miko, some people are waiting for blessings and cures."

Taylor looked up "Thank you Setsuko. OK people, spread out and let me make the magic happen."

Amy rolled her eyes "Let me diagnose first."

Taylor nodded "Good idea. Some of them might need immediate help. We still aren't sure why what I do works. It might not with Sunny babysitting. Hmm, get Vicky and Crystal to document it and we will charge their insurance or the state."

Mark Dallon looked up "Oh, hey, I can help with that!"

The other males got into looking at Taylors new properties. It was being a very nice relaxed Sunday. The weather was cool, chilly even, but not brutally cold, and the heaters were able to provide islands of warmth for those who wanted it. Even the lawyers were having fun. Legend got bullied into being an assistant baby sitter by a pair of big sad doggy eyes. He huffed at Sunny "You know Arthur and I are adopting. Good experience then? What? Hey! I read the books." Sunny rolled her eyes.

Dragon strode up, or one of her remotes did "Legend? Master/Stranger protocol?"

"Phhht! Too late, she has already used her secret weapon on me. Puppy dog eyes." Legend replied.

Theo laughed. "Give her a few minutes to finish up the line of people waiting for her and I will introduce you to the Miko Dragon."

"Where is everyone?" Dragon looked around.

"Kaiser gave the Miko some property that was worthless to him but useful to the Miko and shrine. He will get to take at least some of the value off his taxes in addition to getting out from under the taxes on properties he couldn't develop. This is close to the heart of ABB territory after all. He was trying to make amends. She saw through him so he has a way to go yet. Arthur is here with me, and he and the Japanese architect master carpenter ran off to look at the property and of course all the men and some of the women followed them. Besides Mark, Flashbang, who is helping the girls."

"Hiram is over in the Miko's office trying to fight off Thy Bui and Carol Dallon over Purity. This is Purity's daughter. The one we had questions about. Sunny is babysitting and Theo and I are her thumbs." Legend shrugged.

Dragon gave the impression of smiling merrily, even though she had a big dragon head on her suit "So minions are thumbs now?"

"She doesn't really need us, I am fairly sure. Remember we have video of her carrying stuff all over town and driving Miss Militia's bike." Legend looked at Sunny who returned a completely innocent face.

Dragon nodded "While faking being intoxicated. At least I hope that was faking Sunny?" Sunny snickered like Muttley.

Theo picked up Aster who was a bit fussy and as Dragon sat on the top of the steps Sunny curled up on a mat. Theo put Aster in the middle of the ball of wolf and put a blanket over her. Dragon shook her head. Legend caught her up on everything unclassified.

Dragon looked around "And because of the press the shrine has more traffic than it has ever had before."

Taylor walked up "Which is good as long as they are respectful. Taylor Hebert, Miko of the Pawprint Shrine."

Dragon gave the impression of smiling "Dragon. Of the Canadian Guild and Protectorate. The Guild wished me to convey our respects and inform you that we recognize the neutrality of the Pawprint Shrine and the Miko. Narwhal, the leader of the Guild, will be here sometime later."

Taylor smiled and bowed. She folded down into sitting in front of her easel and turned to the table loaded with her supplies "Thank you. While we talk I need to do some charms and ema. Do you mind? Dinah is bringing the tools for tea, would you like some? Legend? Theo?"

Legend nodded "Yes please." Dragon declined but Theo accepted. Dinah brought out the things for tea and practiced the making of thin tea as Taylor made charms. Once the tea was made Dinah started practicing making charms and Taylor moved on to ema.

Taylor got a rhythm going and asked "So the Merchants?"

Legend nodded "Last night we turned the corner on them. We have them cordoned off into a ten block area and will clean them up tomorrow. Lungs forces seized the rail yard. The Merchant capes are either in custody or fighting amongst themselves. That may be over with though as Trainwreck doesn't seem the type to try to take over. He is a case fifty-three tinker. His constructs are a bit primitive."

"That leaves what are apparently two new triggers as Merchant capes."

Dragon nodded "Mainly because of the material he has to work with I think. A bit like Squealer. Who you have custody of Miko?"

Taylor shook her head "She is welcome here, as is everyone. I think Thy will be interested in helping her. I won't force her to leave."

"She was non-compos mentis from those drugs. We really don't know for how long. I cured her of that and a host of other issues. I'm writing my report for Thy now." Amy added from her cross-legged seat where she was writing on a lap desk. "I want to check out some of these healing charms you have made Taylor."

Dragon was curious "So she is healing people?"

Amy nodded "Striker/Blaster, healer, five at least. Just from what I have seen her do. It's fascinating."

Dragon asked "Blaster effect?"

Amy shook her head then nodded followed by a shrug "Untested. Observed."

Arthur and the other men showed back up and Arthur roughed out a drawing holding a board on his hip "This is going to be amazing!"

Legend sighed "Taylor do you know of an apartment to rent around here?" Taylor blinked. Legend chuckled "We normally live where Arthur's projects are. I fly so fast it really doesn't matter, an hour commute takes me to Europe or California. Plus, I actually enjoy it. The PRT phone I have and my visor HUD lets me keep up to date and even do video conferencing in flight if I need to."

Taylor shrugged "There is the second floor over the bakery? We were going to make it to apartments and the Suzuki's were going to rent one. That's Baachan and her son plus her grandson. I think it would make two nice four bedroom apartments. They will be running the bakery and it makes their commute simple. It needs repaired and the interior redone. They are already working on, or getting ready to work on, the bakery which will be the first floor for sales and the bakery downstairs in the basement mostly. Some upstairs behind the counter. Fine things like we had at the tea. A commercial bakery downstairs though. Shokupan is apparently Mr. Suzuki's specialty."

Legend opened his mouth and Arthur said "Sold! Baachan got you the tatami? She probably knows where to get anything George doesn't. Let me look at the space and I will have you a design by tonight. We'll do it all washitsu, or the Japanese style now, western but at least one washitsu room, central heat though. The building probably has radiators. Who has the keys? George do you have time to look at it? Oh and Mr Suzuki will be rich if he is any good at all. I would kill for Hokkaido milk bread. He will sell all he can make in the city. Tell him to get a big truck."

Kurt who had shown up somewhere in the process added "I'll get some guys down here to look at the physical plant."

One of the Miko, who had trotted off, trotted back with the keys and led them away. Taylor and Legend sat open mouthed. Taylor recovered first "What the hell is happening?"

Legends mouth snapped closed and they all turned their heads to the chuffing Sunny who then looked at them like butter wouldn't melt in her mouth.

Constellations

"What the hell is happening?" became a favorite refrain from Taylor, Legend, Emily, and Chief Director Costa Brown in the next week.

Danny was happy the purchase of the lots around his closed like lightning, and he got them for a song from the banks who were holding notes and paying taxes on property they couldn't get rid of. The cost of the paperwork in most cases. Five hundred dollars was the most expensive one. He did pay market for the old people's houses but they wouldn't take anything over the depressed market value. The site prep for the house and the new buildings as well as clearing the ground for the shrine, onsen, plus its inn was done by the DWU, for the heavy equipment. Which Sherrel was getting back working and was improving. And Local 433 labor. and then DWU apprentice carpenters, plumbers, and electricians worked under Masters working to Georges plan using timber from a warehouse full of squared ten-year-old oak, walnut, maple and all other types of hardwood timber that some company had forgotten about when they went bankrupt. Danny knew of it and bought and the warehouses it was in for a song. Literally. He paid five hundred bucks for the gigantic warehouses and contents and got millions of board feet of air dried oak, hickory, cherry, walnut, and maple. He gave it to Taylor to use on her properties, what wasn't used on the house anyway. George, his journeymen, and apprentices worked the timber.

Danny bought other warehouses he knew of that were full of other construction material, restaurant equipment, store equipment, all kinds of equipment and material. Some that were sold together, he wasn't sure of what was in those. He got them the same way and hired the DWU to inventory them and do the warehouse management and security.

It used up his reward money form the Merchants and some other capes he had helped capture, he had been assiduous in filing for his rewards, but he still had his salary, at least that which he wasn't spending on Taylor but was banking. He didn't actually spend that much on her. Taylor was pretty independent. She got a modest allowance. He was paid well by the Protectorate as he was a heavy hitter. One of the heaviest.

All of this got him thinking about cleaning up the bay and he did some research into salvage.

Legend's head was swimming, not from work but from the work after work. Helping Arthur do the apartments and plan the shrine precinct and its area. He was glad to go to work actually. Then he only had to beat up Merchants or criminal capes in New York and lead the Protectorate. He didn't have to deal with perfectionist husbands and their perfectionist contractors.

The Miko kept being given things from her father, Kaiser, and Lung, that sent Arthur and Kayden Anders into paroxysms of designer joy, in some kind of war of gifting one-upmanship. The odd thing were the things were considered valueless or a deficit until they gave them to the Miko. The only ones making anything off of them was the city, barely making any property tax off of some of it. Taylor now had twenty-five acres of area in town and the shrine was going to be fifteen of it with shops on the ground floor around the shrine precinct and apartments above the shops. The second stories were planned to be cantilevered over the front and back of the buildings to provide covered sidewalks and parking for the apartments. The back wall of those garages was concrete with dry stone walls built up it. Those lots the city would make taxes off of which made them happy and cooperative. The way the buildings were planned gave the whole thing an old world look and rents would be high. Or could be. One apartment would look over the shrine precinct and the other the street view for those up against the shrine precinct. Those outside the shrine precinct walls were three stories tall. Still cantilevered front and back however. The shrine precinct view one was the highest rent. Even if the windows that looked that way wouldn't open. They did make a sun porch. The Miko was generous though. Thy was working on that. The onsen and inn took up four acres, most of that in a garden for the onsen. They were in their own little compound with a torii connecting them to the shrine precinct.

To the west of the inn and onsen, on the next block over was the row of buildings that were going to be diplomatic missions. Four stories tall. With two levels of basements. The Canadian mission had agreed on a plan and the others were built to the same specification. Just the high tech, high strength concrete shells and the neoclassical exteriors.

Thy was also one of the reasons for some of the consternation. Her and her partner in crime Carol Dallon. Oh, and whoever these mysterious investigators of Thy's were. Lawsuits were flying out of Thy and Carol. Not least lawsuits against most of the teachers in Winslow and Principle Blackwell. Not the school board yet, but there was already talk of a settlement there. Legend thought maybe he should get the Miko to invite them to tea with himself and Alexandria in her Costa Brown guise. That was what had started all this mess. Maybe it would fix it? Before it was learned Shadow Stalker was a ward in LA? Legend shook his head. If they ever got her head straight and got her out of San Diego. The girl was a hazard.

For Taylors part school was settled. The shrine was in a rhythm and she was learning as fast as she could so she could teach the other Miko. The Baachan collective was holding a class a day for an hour or two teaching various things from Japanese language to cooking. Including Mrs. Henricks and some of her friends. Sunny was running around being Sunny and the weather had stayed just good enough to let the construction crews keep working. Which was nice for riding her bike to school.

Yuuta, Haru, Souta and the others in their crowd came around often. Taylors phalanx of Local 433 girls at school had not broken and had picked up their game. Emma came with Yuuta and was slowly being worked on by the 433 girls. The dance pavilion, the kagura hall, had quartz heaters so they could all sit out and talk even if it was cold and rainy. It mostly rained at night. Like every night. Right now, that was fine as they were doing site prep and concrete work and it never rained much, just a gentle rain for an hour or so in the night.

Taylor started trying to figure out what to do around Christmas. She laughed at the other Miko's stories of pictures of Christmas trees shaped like Godzilla and other things. As it turns out few Japanese were religious, fewer still Christian. So Christmas was a fun time. Presents were left at the heads of their beds though. Most families also had a small Christmas tree. Taylor started practicing Christmas songs on the flute. These practices always got a good turnout. She also had the Miko start wearing green aprons.

She looked at her piles and piles of vegetables and got the Miko cooking three days before Thanksgiving and had thanksgiving dinner under the pavilion for dancing. Danny sat at one end of the central table and her at the other. Legend and Arthur joined them as did various heroes, Lung, and Kaiser. Purity sat at Taylors left hand and Thy at her right. Amy just down from Thy and Glory Girl next to Purity. At another table under the pavilion sat others including Baachan and her family. The Henrick's had brought a turkey, as had both New wave families, Arthur, and Taylor made one in her kitchen. The tables groaned with Asian and American foods. It was a smash hit and Taylor was very pleased. She opened the shrine for everyone and everyone who showed up found food if they passed through the buffet line. Whether it was a thanksgiving miracle or the ovens of the Suzuki's bakery getting broken in, it started another flurry on the PHO.

The Miko all started training for kagura dancing.

By now all the Miko could make charms and ema that passed Sunny's inspection and Taylor started paying them an allowance. Easily affordable as the booth selling them was emptied every day.

It was after Thanksgiving that the traffic in the shrine really picked up. The charms and ema baskets were always nearly empty so Taylor set up a stall for selling them for suggested donations. The Miko manning the stall and making either would still give you one if you were flat broke though. Thy's office was built next. Amy did her healing with Taylor in the Haiden. They did have a building where those who needed it could rest and get some food.

Amy and Thy's offices and work space, an addition to the shrine office was being built in one of the warehouses. The foundation for it was being prepped as well. The shrine precinct was a hive of construction work. All behind fabric screens strung between trees or buildings.

Taylors dad stayed over Christmas and Taylor knelt in front of the Haiden for her first prayer and offering Christmas eve. Sunny glowed a blinding brilliant white and her orange red markings appeared to be alight, floating off of her. That of course ended up on PHO.

Oni Lee had made his first prayer and offering where he could be seen doing it weeks ago. Sunny had glowed then as well, nearly as brightly. He made an offering and prayer on Christmas eve as well.

Kaiser surprised everyone showing up and meticulously going through the process and making an offering and prayer. Sunny gave him a warm glow.

Lung did the same and got a glow nearly as bright as Taylor.

Sunny glowed again as the Miko performed the Dai-kagura. It was a good performance. Everyone present was pleased. The shrine had not yet been expanded so they did it in the haiden in front of the door to the honden. Light seeped around the edges of the door as they did the dance.

The next day after presents, Taylor laid another feast. This one with ham. She had had a tent erected as well as using the dancing pavilion and invited the community. She sat at the head of the table with Sunny returning bows as seemingly thousands of people passed by her then passed through the buffets.

Dragon and Armsmaster did some calculations and looked at each other. There was no way there had been enough food for these people. They passed through the line twice collecting samples.

Between Christmas and New Year, with everyone shaking their heads, Taylor started thousands of cherry seeds in small fiber pots of imported earth. Baachan silenced them all "Miko knows what she is doing. You just be ready to plant them out in two weeks." Arthur, Purity, and George Nakashima blanched. They were still pouring foundations! They hadn't put the soil back up against them yet!

January first through third, the Japanese as well as western New Year saw the shrine, and Brockton Bay, mobbed. Tourist came in from everywhere. Asian Tourist from all over the US. Sunny lay on the top of the steps lapping up the attention. Taylor and the other Miko worked hard and fell in bed every evening to sleep like the dead. Meanwhile the Baachan of America were preparing their granddaughters who were of the appropriate age. There was a true shrine with an Okami!

On the second Monday of January Taylor blessed nearly a thousand twenty year old women in a Seijin Shiki ceremony. Then they all went and shot arrows. It was fun. The women were in stunning kimono for the blessing and covered those with hakama for the archery.

Velocity met Susan Wantanabe, Haru's sister. Down from Cornell. He had been joking about being engaged. Baachan wasn't. Do not underestimate the power of the Baachan! The two hit it off. Susan was twenty for one more day. She was also very pretty. If a bit manic.

Constellations

Back at school after the break, Taylor relaxed at the lunch table, Yuuta chuckled "Tired Miko?" Emma was, as always, right beside him.

Taylor nodded "Everything will settle now that we have the whole town working."

Yuuta nodded "Including that tinker of yours." He made a motion with his hands and Taylor suppressed a giggle at the glare he got from 'Crazy Chick'. Yuuta was so freaking clueless. Baachan was free to work on her new plan. The poor fool. She wished him well with Emma. Emma was better, different? Something. That didn't change what had happened. "What does she do with the money she gets from fixing all the American iron people bring to the DWU shops?"

"Gets an allowance and banks the rest on the advice of her attorneys. Something about endowing a fund to pay her victims." Taylor shrugged.

Emma couldn't stand it "How does she get the grease and dirt out of her haori and off her hakama?"

Taylor laughed "The Baachan found someone to make a pattern and make them from cotton on machines. Not silk like the ones for work in the Shrine 'facing' the public' in other words the only thing I am allowed to wear. Hers are washed, the whites are bleached hard for long soaks, then blued. Who knew that was a thing? And the hakama are bleached and blued then dyed red again. Bit of a pain but it works and Transport refuses to where anything else. She even wears tabi under her safety shoes."

Emma frowned "Allowed? You are the Miko!"

Taylor nodded "Which apparently makes it even more important I am always correct in every detail."

Yuuta nodded "Yeah that sucks. It's the face thing. Baachan is so proud of you she could burst though. All of you Miko really, but you especially."

"I'll get my tribute to you when I bring more charms by. I got most of our area covered now but I just can't make myself stop. It's relaxing. I have even branched out and with your ten percent tribute as my teacher." He shrugged, he was doing well, and he was grateful.

Taylor sighed "I told you it wasn't necessary."

Yuuta grinned "Face thing, roll with it. Spend it on the poor. We all know that's what you do with all the stuff we bring in that isn't related to the shrine or the Miko."

Taylor smiled and acquiesced. Emma sighed, opened her mouth and Yuuta got up "Come on Crazy Chick. Baachan is turning you Japanese. You can only apologize once sincerely did you know? Not once every time you open your mouth."

"Yuuta!"

Taylor smiled as Yuuta walked off and Emma followed. Poor Yuuta. He was such a nice, clueless, boy. Taylor shuddered. She was staying the Miko forever if it kept Mrs. Hendrick and the Baachan from picking her husband. She was too busy for that!

Constellations

Taylor was sitting at the edge of the haiden, just back out of the rain with the other Miko making charms and ema when the sirens went off. She froze and Sunny rose to her feet. Taylor nodded "Setsuko you are in charge."

Setsuko frowned "Miko that alarm is for an attack that is not here."

Taylor nodded "They will need Healers. Somehow, I can do that. I don't know why. Or Sunny does it through me. Something."

Melissa nodded and got Taylor her gohei and Dinah ran to pack her a bag. Taylor headed for the shamusho. Amy had a set of rooms there for treating sick people now. Thy had an office built onto it as well, in a kind of L shape that included a classroom/workroom for the miko. The wall by it had been pushed back to make room and to shape the onsen space.

Taylor met Amy on the porch "Canberra, Australia the Simurgh." Amy informed her.

Taylor nodded. "Well we can help some people. What do we do?"

Vicky looked at her phone "Go to the PRT building. They are getting transport ready from there."

Dinah trotted up with a pack for Taylor and the other Miko fluttered around. Vicky and Amy got ready swiftly as Taylor explained to Thy. Thy nodded but did not look happy.

The girls went back into the shrine area and Oni Lee walked swiftly down the path toward them and then bowed to Taylor "Miko, you go to Canberra?" Taylor nodded and Oni Lee got out his phone "Sumimasen Miko."

Taylor walked to the torii giving instructions and Sunny looked at everyone then turned to Taylor. Taylor slipped onto her back sidesaddle and Vicky picked up Amy. Oni Lee followed and the whole group left for the PRT building. Oni Lee following in a car.

Constellations

Taylor and Sunny arrived and the car Oni Lee was in screeched to a halt "Miko, Lung is coming." Taylor smiled. Sunny nodded.

Vicky and Amy walked up. Amy explained the normal procedure and what the circles in on the pavement in front of the building were for and got Taylor walked over and registered as Vicky flew off to find Dean, her boyfriend, the ward Gallant.

Lung strode up "Miko. This is foolish. It is the Simurgh. You are not a blaster!"

Kaiser strode up as well "I must agree with Lung Miko."

Taylor nodded "I can however help, perhaps heal some people."

Danny appeared with a dufflebag bulging with action figures "Taylor! Honey do you really want to do this?"

Taylor smiled "Yes."

Danny sighed "Damnit I didn't do these events to protect you! OK, fine, but if you are going so am I. Your mother would be proud Honey. OK, let's get you registered."

Danny led her to a table with a PRT admin person sitting at a laptop flanked by two fully armed and armored PRT troopers. "Brushstroke and Good Dog. Healer, search and rescue. Chessman combat, search and rescue."

Taylor looked at her dad "Combat?"

Danny shrugged "She can't hurt me through my minions."

Taylor looked over when she heard Lung "Lung and Oni Lee. Protection for the Miko."

The PRT admin looked at him. "Search and Rescue then."

"Fine." Lung strode over to Taylor. Sunny nose printed him on the bare chest. He still only wore shirts if he was coming to the shrine.

Taylor heard Kaiser register and he got nose printed as well. All of the Empire capes were out on bail and all registered.

Purity showed up and glared both Kaiser and Taylor into submission. "Whatever you are doing Taylor I will help you."

They all got herded into the circle where the wards who were going, Amy, and Vicky, along with the rest of New Wave minus Shielder and Flashbang joined them.

They were joined by a stocky blond girl in a cheap plastic dog mask and three dogs. Sunny and the dogs greeted each other, then Sunny nose printed the dog mask. The girl took it off and Sunny licked her. She smiled tightly. Sunny took her hand and led her to Taylor. Taylor introduced herself "Taylor Hebert, Miko of the Pawprint shrine."

Rachel Lindt nodded "Sunny's friend. I'm Bitch."

Taylor beamed at her "Sunny told me about you. You know I could use your help. We get people bringing dogs by the shrine for blessings or to have curses removed. I think the people need training in how to handle dogs. Well mostly. The dogs might need a little training too. Plus, Sunny says you can heal dogs and you know what is wrong with them just by looking at them."

Rachel nodded slowly "Would I get something for it? I don't need it, I would help the dogs anyway, but for training people I need something."

Amy looked at one of the dogs "Can I see if I can help your dog?"

Rachel looked at her "Panacea. Sure."

Amy started petting one of the dogs and then held her hand on her. Everyone watched as the dog's wounded, scarred over eye was healed. Sunny smiled and then gave a 'Wooo' that the other dogs joined in on. Rachel looked at Amy and nodded.

The cape transporting them showed up then and looked over the group. He nodded and suddenly they were somewhere else.

Constellations

In the distance they could see the Simurgh hanging over the buildings and pieces of buildings sort of orbiting her. Sunny began glowing and her orange red markings did the flowing fire thing. Amy asked a person with a laptop "Search and Rescue?" The person pointed.

Amy herded the group along and they were organized in minutes and healing. Taylor was doing purification rituals and Vicky was organizing the others into search and rescue teams and getting them moving. Vista was working with Lung. She moved him and he provided the muscle. Lung was ramping up at a steady pace. Oni Lee was appearing and disappearing with people and casualties. Those not injured got into groups and underwent a purification ritual.

They were there for fifteen minutes when Armsmaster strode up "Brushstroke, what is Good Dog doing?"

Taylor looked around "What?" She saw Sunny standing on a small rise glowing painfully brightly. "What is she doing?"

Armsmaster replied "The Simurgh has frozen and is just looking at Good Dog. She is not even defending herself. She has stopped screaming as well."

"Uh, OK, but that's good right?"

Armsmaster lifted a hand to his helmet then looked at Taylor "What are you doing?"

"Purification rituals?"

"It's lifting or ameliorating the effects of the Simurghs scream." Armsmaster told her.

Taylor beamed "Oh that's good then!"

Armsmaster looked at her for a minute then turned and walked away. Amy walked over to Taylor smiling "You confuse the hell out of people. Come on, more to treat."

Constellations

Legend looked at Alexandria and chuckled "The Miko is here."

Alexandria huffed "I have to meet this girl."

Legend nodded "Sunny too." He looked toward the Simurgh "David is a little frustrated I think."

Alexandria nodded "And doing more damage than the Simurgh was. Why is she just hovering there?"

Legend shrugged "That's everyone from the immediate area around her and the evacuation is back to running as smooth as those do. Eidolon and the others are doing whatever they are doing, let's go ask the Miko."

Taylor finished up the line in front of her and looked toward Sunny. She started walking that way just as Legend flew up with Alexandria "Taylor, erh Miko, may I present Alexandria?"

Taylor smiled and bowed "Good morning."

Alexandria blinked and stumbled a bit. Then she bowed in midair "Good Morning Miko. Uh, what are you doing to the Simurgh."

Taylor shrugged "I have no idea what Sunny is up to. I was just going to talk to her."

Alexandria blinked. She looked at Legend who was grinning hugely. She gave him a glare and they both flew along behind the girl in the white big sleeved haori and the red skirts.

Vicky looked at Amy "Taylor will have to tell us about this. Alexandria is completely frazzled."

Amy looked up smiling between patients "I wish I had finished my cases. Taylor can do that purification ritual fifteen or twenty at a time. They have been having her do the people who were exposed to the scream the longest after they evaluate them then evaluating them again. It takes whatever the Simurgh does right out of their heads."

Vicky nodded "Pretty freaking amazing. I wonder if she could do Switzerland or Madison?"

Amy frowned "The whole place at once? Big ask. Hey, shouldn't you be off moving buildings?"

Vicky shrugged "Done already, until the bitches Midol wears off again."

Taylor walked up to Sunny and raised her gohei. Dragon's voice came over the armband they were wearing "Thirty two minutes since the attack commenced. Twenty seven minutes of the scream." Dragon had been counting down the minutes. Taylor lay a hand on Sunny for a moment then started a purification ritual while looking at the Simurgh.

Dragon gave a warning "Blasters pull back, something is building."

Legend and Alexandria watched as a beam of light shot form the gohei and impacted the Simurgh. It blasted her tumbling across Canberra. Alexandria cursed "Fucking hell! What the fuck! OK, get ready to defend this position and evacuate the medical center."

Flying capes started flowing toward the medical center and the Simurgh arose from the cloud of dust and falling debris at the end of the furrow she had carved through the downtown. Fortunately, it was in the path she had already travel that had been mostly demolished and they were through doing search and rescue in. She turned toward Taylor. Sunny took a step forward and growled. Dragon's voice came "Simurgh gaining altitude."

Taylor stared at the Simurgh and raised the Gohei again. The Simurgh arched up and away. A shockwave propagated out from her path. Everyone drifted to a halt. "five thousand feet, ten thousand, twenty thousand and gaining speed. Simurgh appears to be returning to orbit. Seventy thousand feet."

Eidolon flew up frothing at the mouth. He charged at Taylor and Alexandria grabbed him and hissed "She just sent the Simurgh ass over tea kettle with one shot. Do you really want to try on a blaster ten plus?"

Legend nodded "Besides which Sunny is right there. She struck Lung with lightning."

"And Lung is right here. You will not attack the Miko." Lung said from behind them. He was ten feet tall and scales were covering him, glinting with metallic reflections. Vista was standing right beside him and Oni Lee on his other side.

Kaiser was leading the Empire capes up the hill "Miko? What happened?"

Taylor was looking at her gohei "That was a purification ritual. It's never done that before."

Kaiser offered diffidently "Well, no one has used it on an Endbringer before. Probably."

Oni Lee nodded "Hai. Next time an exorcism. We will prepare the ritual."

Eidolon spluttered "Now wait just a damn minute!"

Danny rode up on a green jeep "Taylor?" Troops Tanks and armored personnel carries followed his path. A brigade sized element.

"Oh, hey dad. You OK?"

Danny chuckled "I'm fine honey. What did you and Sunny do to the Simurgh?"

Sunny woofed and then grinned. Taylor huffed "I have a feeling it was more Sunny than me. She doesn't seem willing to talk about it either." Sunny's tongue lolled out and she trotted down the hill. Everyone turned to follow her with their eyes. Taylor grunted and started walking after her.

Constellations

Four hours later. Sunny and Taylor were up on another hill. Lung, Oni Lee, Kaiser and the Empire capes were keeping everyone respectful of her space. Taylor looked at Sunny "So we answered their questions, ready to go? We can go see if Amy is finished up."

Sunny stood up and looked at Taylor then at the city. Taylor nodded "We did good though. At least from what people are saying. I know it looks bad, but usually they just put up a wall and keep the people inside it."

"The prime Minister said the damage was a fifth of what could be expected and the casualties a tenth. We will have to come to more of these. Maybe Oni Lee is right and we should practice exorcisms. Especially for Behemoth."

"Bark!"

"Leviathan too?"

"Bark!"

"A water demon? Really?"

"Wooo."

Taylor laughed "Yes, couldn't hurt. OK, let's go find Amy."

Constellations

"She has to be taken out or put in the birdcage." Eidolon shouted.

Legend and Alexandria looked at each other, Doctor Mother, and Contessa. Contessa shrugged "There is no path to victory against the Miko."

Alexandria blinked "What? None we can do the steps for you mean?"

Contessa shook her head "No, no path period, no steps."

Doctor Mother nodded "This one scan from Armsmaster shows a canus lupus. A wolf. A normal run of the mill wolf, three times the size of normal wolves. How does it glow and what are those markings?"

Number Man thoughtfully asked "Could the wolf be the powered part of the pair?"

Legend sighed "The PRT and even our thinkers confirm that if anything they are both powered. Of course, we have never seen powers like these before, but they have both displayed powers separately."

"I can take them." Eidolon nodded.

Alexandria looked at him "OK that's it. You are getting counseling. She, or they, took down an Endbringer. They would smear you across the sky. I was standing right there. That beam guided itself to the Simurgh. She wasn't even really aiming at the damn thing. The wolf wasn't even involved other than staring and glowing. When it got involved the Simurgh fled. You will go to the counselor I find and leave the Miko strictly alone. In fact, you won't go near Brockton Bay until the counselor says you can be trusted."

Eidolon, David, growled and crossed his arms. The others looked at each other.

Constellations

Dragon sent the pm. Bagrat replied "I hate to say I told you so, but…."

"Yes fine. Now what else are they going to do?"

"Who knows? Try to make things better is the only thing I could even guess at."

"That isn't much help."

"LOL, sorry."

Dragon sighed and closed the chat. She and Armsmaster had spent hours poring over any footage from Canberra and analyzing everything. That beam of light refused to be analyzed. It was just the visible part of whatever that was. One thing was certain. Nobody was going to dispute the Pawprint Shrines neutrality now. There was a video someone had pieced together that showed the whole thing posted on PHO. It had run on the news for days since then. Brushstroke had driven off the Simurgh. A first. Usually Simurgh destroyed wherever she attacked completely, no matter what they did. Brockton Bay was growing diplomatic missions at a high rate. Australia had recognized the Shrines Neutrality and guaranteed its defense. They were forming a Brigade to guarantee it. Of course, stationing a foreign Brigade on US soil was a prickly issue but the Australians were pushing hard. That benefitted Lung and Kaiser more than anyone else. Brushstroke as well though. Arthur had designed a whole street of diplomatic missions one over to the west of the shrine. Canada was already occupying theirs. Paying the Shrine the lease money.

The missions needed food, transport, medical services, all of that. Local 88 and Local 433 were providing those services.

At least Brushstroke had an administrative staff now. Thy had hired them to field calls and mail. More miko had volunteered as well. Each of the original six had gotten six. They were there mostly during the day. Brushstrokes staff had someone on twenty-four hours a day.

Uber and L33t had learned to respect the shrine as well. At least the PRT had saved them from those patrols of Local 433 and Local 88 security types when they had tried some ill-advised prank aimed at the shrine.

Local 88. Imitation was the sincerest form of flattery. Although they were making it work. Oh the sections of town were still armed camps, but the pawprint sidewalks and shrine were inviolate.

Constellations

"So I buy the salvage rights for a hundred thousand dollars. The metal alone is worth an average of eighty cents a pound and at listed tonnage there are almost two billion pounds of metals in the bay. I pay the union twenty cents a pound to scrap it all."

Transport, Sherrel, the rebranded Squealer, interrupted Taylor "Less even, because a lot of it will be done by my machines. Bit of a manpower issue until more people get trained. Big Rig wants to work with me on some machines too and we will get a few of his in trade. They can do concrete work easy."

Arthur nodded "Amazing really. Site prep and concrete as long as you program them correctly. They are not good at the rest. That still takes tradespeople. Them freeing up people allows us to train more tradespeople."

They were all in the tea house. Taylor was practicing a tea ceremony showing the miko how to do it. "And I am cutting down all these trees why?"

Danny informed them all "Seasoned timber is best for Mr. Nakashima's people. It is not economical to dry whole squared timbers. Air drying takes years. You have the warehouse space and the equipment. Sherrel automated it. You use up timber from the warehouses but put it back as well. The landowner makes money, your contracts specify they are to plant back timber, you get dried timber and save money in the end."

Taylor sighed and whisked the tea " And the log ends are all sealed with white paint, so I buy it buy the fifty-five-gallon drum."

"And I bought up every warehouse in the docks?"

Kurt shrugged "Any we could find that had anything in them or were worth repairing. We salvaged a bunch for timber, brick, wire, that sort of thing. We bought those a block at a time. Then of course the lots where the buildings had fallen in or burned."

Velocity nodded "Susan wants to do a project with Sherrel. Some kind of machine to clean dirt and she wants to get that old refinery back in operation to salvage the oil from the wrecks and the bottom of the bay."

Thy nodded "Before the EPA tightens regulations we can use up those ship engines making electricity. Sherrel is working on engines that will meet the new EPA specs after they come into effect."

Taylor frowned and Velocity laughed "You and Susan are going to get along. She wants to integrate all of it and says with thought we can use everything in some process to make something. I think she triggered and is a tinker. I mean she went to Cornell at fifteen so she was already a genius but now only Dragon understands her half the time. I know her professors don't and it frustrates the hell out of her."

Taylor served and the guest straightened up for their part of the ceremony "OK. Not with shrine money though Thy. Keep it separate. Plus, I want to donate ten percent of my income to the shrine. Investments, hmmm. Twenty percent to Sherrel's tinker group projects. Ten percent buying up land in town and twenty percent in farmland and forest. I'll take a wage from the LLC, whatever is reasonable, and the rest of the money can be invested in a balanced portfolio."

"I still can't believe we got all this money from all those lawsuits and the reward for driving off the Simurgh. I mean it's not like we killed it. A hundred million dollars seems a bit much."

Baachan tsked "Billions. Simurgh attacks cost billions. They cheaped out on you. Next time I negotiate."

Taylor smiled "I'm hoping there is no next time Baachan. Maybe she will tell her friends to be nicer."

"They are not friends." Baachan replied. Taylor smiled and accepted the point.

Legend nodded "It's a bit the standard. Ten percent of estimated damages. It's how I got most of my money. Alexandria and Eidolon too. We all have family corporations. Mostly just investments though. These projects of yours are interesting. I might want in on some of them. Very few of us can put down S class threats, or even chase them off."

Danny nodded "I'm using my money and building a nest egg at the same time. Some of the rewards on these villains are pretty high."

Taylor sighed "We are out of the Merchant and Endbringer truce. What happens with Lung and Kaiser now?"

Legend smiled "It gets a bit complicated because of the shrine and the Miko. They seem to behaving however. I think rather than risk court cases we are going to push for them to pay restitution."

Baachan nodded "The damage is done. Them in prison doesn't pay for it, it only makes politicians feel better."

Danny nodded "As long as they have actually reformed."

Kayden laughed "Kaiser is desperate not to piss the Miko off. Lung never passes up the opportunity to say something about lightning and metal and him not having regeneration. I'm just glad the drug dealing is drying up."

Taylor smiled and turned to Amy who blushed "Fine. You were right, all powerful wizard of Paws."

Legend arched a brow. Taylor hid a giggle politely behind her hand then explained "Amy can make people allergic to drugs. Selectively."

Vicky added "We started a list of drugs people were using when they came in for treatment and started making them allergic in the emergency rooms and here in the clinic. We have probably done a couple thousand now, or rather Amy has. We charge Medicaid or their insurance for 'rehab'. That alone is a good living but hopefully we will work ourselves out of that market. The alcoholics as well."

Arthur laughed "Start a rehab clinic. There are hundreds of those and most of them don't work. People are ordered into rehab all the time by the courts."

Crystal pouted "Your power is bullshit and going to make you a millionaire like Taylor, Amy."

Taylor shrugged "We can get Lisa and Dinah to work on what you can do with your power Crystal. Then Thy and Dad's friends the labor lawyers can figure out how to make it legal."

Danny nodded "Like they did Grue. Although I don't think your mother will let you go work on reactors. Vicky is doing office work and heavy lifting or demolition for the DWU."

Crystal shrugged "That would be Eric. He does the shields. Hmm maybe I can help with demolition though."

Legend paused "Wait a minute, Dinah is a parahuman?"

Taylor blinked and looked at Dinah "That's why Coil had guys chasing me. Thinker. I can give odds on courses of action. It messed my schooling up but Taylor and Baachan found a way for me to learn without getting headaches because people just ask me questions all the time. That's one of the reasons I like being a Miko. People are too polite to ask questions out of the blue here in the shrine."

Vicky bounced a bit "So we can go look at the house tomorrow? It is Wednesday. No flute practice. No lines for blessings, no free clinic and Setsuko can run the Miko."

Taylor laughed and Danny smiled "Sure. After school? Meet here?"

Constellations

The next day, Danny, being of above average intelligence, or well trained, brought a red and white bus. White on top naturally. Sherrel was hopping up and down looking at Taylor who stood at the torii with her jaw dropped. She squealed "You like it! It's a Mack B series bus! You have a warehouse full of busses! We took one and the shops down at the DWU rebuilt it as I tinked it! It had to be the shrines." She grabbed Taylors hand and dragged her to the front of the bus and pointed "Look, it has a dog!"

Sunny hopped up and put her feet on the rounded radiator cover then licked the bull dog ornament. She churred happily then ran around and in the open door where Danny had dismounted to watch Taylor's reaction. Taylor shouted "You are not driving Sunny. I don't care if you did claim it!" Everyone heard the whine she got from the driver's seat. "I love it. Thank you Sherrel!"

The Miko piled in and found a red and white interior. White paint and red leather seats. Sherrel smiled "This one is for the shrine but we have four others rebuilt and they are going to start running routes on the pawprint sidewalk streets. You and Sunny got way out there on that bicycle. I tinked a bunch of Cummins B series engines and they hardly burn any fuel or make any noise. We made the route buses easier to get in and out of and they are former Mack transit busses. You have more of them that the shops are working on. We are hoping to get up to one passing the shrine every thirty minutes. For a donation of course. The suggestion is a quarter."

Danny had waited until everyone that was going was aboard and put the bus in gear and pulled out. Sherrel had tinked the six-speed automatic and the transfer case from a six by six truck as well. The bus was all wheel drive, somehow without increasing its turning circle, tinker bullshit. It was smooth and nearly silent. Taylor was already planning charms and wards for the buses. Sunny piled in the seat with her and was watching Danny drive avidly. Taylor was a bit afraid. The bus was completely full of women and girls, miko, local girls, their friends, all seventy odd seats full, Baachan and all. The shrine had become a bit of a gathering spot for young women. Even the Baachan in their observation corner didn't dissuade them. It was nice to be watched over, sometimes, and no one harassed women in the shrine precincts.

The bus slid to a stop in front of the house and the workers bowed deeply led by Mr. Nakashima. They were all dressed in traditional clothes down to the jikatabi on their feet. Setsuko smiled and handed Taylor her gohei. Taylor arched a brow and then sighed as the video lights of the news crews cameras came on. "Why do they use lights even in the day time?"

Lisa paused and then said "Something about color temperature. Come on, on with the show!" Taylor smiled and rose but Rachel, in her white shirt and red pants, with three dogs beat her off the bus. The news media and paparazzi fell back perforce. Taylor went to Mr. Nakashima and bowed. She was then introduced to the Masters who had worked on the house and had their journeymen and apprentices behind them. She smiled and bowed to each and Mr. Nakashima led her up to the house. Taylor blinked as she realized there was a thick, tall, wall around the house. A perfectly clear wall.

Baachan nodded "The chance some idiot would attack is greater than zero Miko. Susan has made this for your protection. It is brute proof plastic that will not cloud in the sun."

Lisa supplied "Tinked polycarbonate six inches thick."

Baachan nodded "Lung tested it."

George smiled "The pieces blocking the path are lifted and lowered hydraulically. Let me key you into the system. I will erase the data for the workers and myself when we finish and hand over the house."

Dinah stepped up with an ink pot and brush and Taylor drew several charms on the polycarbonate and then scattered salt from a small chest Melissa held in front of the threshold. Sunny glowed. Mr Nakashima got Taylor in the system and she locked the entrance armor in the open,down, position. The edges off the opening had a complicated joint. Mr. Nakashima explained "The panel can only be removed from the bottom."

They walked up the cobbled path. A path just like the shrine had, toward the house "The wall is back one meter from the edge of the property and then the house is sitting in the exact center of the lot. In the way of Japanese houses, it has a hallway like a porch around the outside of the living spaces. It has two wings, one for you and one for your father and they are separated by a kitchen, dining room and living room. Both the living and dining room are eight tatami rooms. The kitchen is six tatami in size however it has a granite floor."

In your wings there is a six-tatami sitting room/office and an eight-tatami bedroom. Here is the dry-stone garden, a pond here, and finally an endless pool here. Oh, and the bath for the house. Under the basement is a connection to the hot spring the Okami has found."

Taylor looked at Sunny "I knew you were still digging! Is this all? Can you help with the beds at the shrine now?" Bark! "Thank you."

Lisa looked around "None of you seem surprised?"

One of the masters smiled "The Okami conducted all the rituals for the house. That was surprising. Her riding a geyser up in the north-west corner of the foundation pit was just interesting."

George finished up "There are three six tatami guest rooms with half baths along the south side enclosing the garden. The main rooms are separated by shoji of our double wall inert gas filled design so deaden sound and inhibit the transfer of heat and the hallway can be separated from the house by the same walls They rise out of the floor. Traditional but at the same time modern and let us make use of what is then a twenty-four-tatami space. The bedroom and study in each wing are the same. He did something and the interior walls snapped down into the floor.

Taylor spun in a circle "It's enormous!"

George shrugged "Your father is young and attractive. You are unmarried. You are both important people and will need to entertain occasionally. It is all on one floor as we all age."

Taylor nodded "The room sizes don't include the storage attached to them do they?"

George smiled shaking his head "The bathrooms either."

Taylor went back outside and looked up "It's a dome."

The HVAC master and the landscaping master stepped forward "We can show you Miko." The girls followed her and the older folks went through the house. They all met back in the large open area with the younger group coming up a stairwell that opened through a wall by the wall dropping down. Taylor went and hugged her father who blinked and then sighed "Yes, all your mothers things."

Taylor sniffled a bit "It's like she could come home and find them, ready for use. Where did you find the time?"

Danny shrugged "It's how I wind down from a day at work. I am almost done with my stuff and then I will start on yours. Last I'll do the stuff left from your grandparents."

Taylor leaned back and looked up at her father "When you aren't tinkering. That's some workshop down there."

Danny laughed "Chessman's Army. Or the recovery ward. Lots of those have been damaged in the past and I bring them home to work on them. The chimera you gave me is always with me. Nothing hurts Ernie."

"Ernie?" Taylor arched a brow.

Danny laughed "Had to call him something. So, what do you think?"

Taylor smiled "I think you went way overboard."

"Cost less than a regular house. Everyone had something they wanted to test. Of course, next week the press and all kinds of different societies are going to troop through. It's in the running for hundreds of awards from gardening to technology. It's off the grid and could be sealed up like a terrarium. Besides being beautiful. I like the open plan and that it has enough room for us to grow into it." Danny shrugged.

Taylor nodded "And it has a bat cave. How many cars will fit in that garage the tunnel leads too?"

Danny shrugged "Four. Yeah Transport got in on the plans as well. Something about having a place for your sweet sixteen birthday present."

Taylor's jaw dropped "Oh god! It isn't a tank is it? I saw your APC down there!"

Danny laughed "I have no idea. She won't tell. You do own a warehouse full of classic cars though. And parts for them. She is narrowing it down."

Taylor led her father over to a grate and folded into a seat. She made tea as various Miko produced various utensils and supplies. As they explored the house. Danny shook his head "You girls and tea."

Taylor smiled "Tea time is courtesy time."

Baachan nodded on the seat beside Danny who had folded down into a seat. "And lets you think as well. You have learned well Miko."

Taylor did a little seated bow. "Well I have to thank everyone as well."

Danny nodded "I've kept a book. Mr. Nakashima has a full history of the house. I added how everything happened that made it possible. Someone is smiling on us. The Midas touch even." Baachan blinked and then laughed and laughed.


	3. Chapter 3

Constellations 3

Danny drove his jeep home and parked in the garage. He was later than usual, or than had become usual in the month since they visited the house and then moved in a week later. He parked and smiled at Thy's two forty Z classic. Red of course. It was a Sherrel rebuild and she was like Henry Ford, except with red. Taylor's bike was parked in her spot. He got out of the jeep, let his power go and picked it up, putting it on the shelf. He walked through to the stairs and headed up to get a shower. It had been an early morning and a long day.

Taylor was in the kitchen with Sunny sitting watching her making five times to much food and filling bento boxes as usual. Thy was sitting at the island working on her computer, as usual.

He still couldn't get over that. Ten years younger and gorgeous, what in the hell did she see in him? Annette he got. He had been in the prime of his life, and well, they were stupid college kids together.

Thy looked at him "That is what I see. A humble man who is powerful and caring." Danny smiled, and she was apparently a mind reader.

Taylor smiled at them "Whenever you are ready Thy. Bring him over to the shrine and we will make it official."

Danny sighed. Thy smiled "What, and end the scandal? Never!"

Amy came in after dropping her shoes followed by Vicky, Crystal, Lisa and Rachel. Vicky frowned a bit "Scandal? Oh that. Old news. Plus, part of the Baachan's plan. Taylor did you see the briefing on the Travelers or were you ignoring your PRT phone like always. Mom said to ask."

Taylor rolled her eyes and slapped Amy's hands gently away from the pots "Wash your hands and dinner is ready. I saw. They are in Boston?"

Danny nodded "Intel puts them leaving there and headed here to 'try their luck'. Now about the Baachan?"

Thy let go a string of something that made Taylor blush then switched to English "Idiots. Lung is dying for an enemy. Whoever volunteers is going to get eaten. He has moved on to establish domination of everything. Well, him and Kaiser. You shouldn't have made him wear shirts Taylor. He thinks he is some kind of merchant prince now. You are the only one who buys anything besides those two. Real property anyway."

Crystal snorted "Politics. How is Kaiser not in jail? How is he hanging on?"

Lisa shrugged "Medhall. He is outcompeting everyone using Local 88 labor. Like Lung is doing in the construction business except high end construction. Mr Nakashima has that sewn up."

Danny nodded "Lung tried to recruit Susan until he figured out and she is one of yours. So we aren't going to talk about the Baachan?"

Taylor harrumphed as she worked "Shower dad. Dinner in ten minutes. They aren't mine, they can do what they want. Also no, resistance is futile."

Thy laughed after kissing Danny on his way "And what they want is to be yours. Well, Susan wants your refinery and the chemical works that go with it. I swear that girl is a hazard. We have started having to hire in people from further and further afield to keep up with her, and she hates Cornell so she hates glass. She is trying to put them out of business and may succeed."

Amy laughed "Her and Sherrel are a bit of a mad hatter duo. Mining the bay for metals and chemicals. They got the University in on it. Just like you did with those farms of yours. What are you, a food tinker Taylor?"

Taylor gave her a level stare "And who really tinks the food? I just cook it."

Vicky grinned "And drive the state insane hiring everyone and giving them sanctuary while their legal issues are sorted out. Thy how many lawyers do you have in that building downtown?"

Amy smiled "You can't cook for me without good ingredients. You said so yourself."

Crystal snorted "The other scandal."

Thy smiled "I don't know. Carol went on another hiring trip. Enough the furniture makers stay busy."

Amy swallowed the piece of sashimi she had swiped "Those people are deluding themselves. There is no scandal."

All the other women looked at her "What? I can date who I want and so can Taylor."

"Bark!" Came from Sunny who was tussling with Rachel's dogs, Brutus, Judas, and Angelica.

"Thank you Sunny." Amy nodded firmly.

Taylor laughed "And there is no rule about Miko dating. We aren't nuns."

"Bark!"

Crystal smiled "And Sunny likes the match so they are all screwed." The women all smiled and laughed.

A few minutes later Danny walked in with damp, brushed, hair in a yakuta and tabi and groaned "I hate that. I always think you all were talking about me."

Thy hugged him and passed him to Taylor then the other girls got in on the act. "We were, tangentially. More about Taylor and Amy." The two girls rolled their eyes as the others laughed.

Lisa settled first "The Travelers will come to the shrine."

Taylor shrugged "All are welcome."

Lisa snorted "It's going to be a problem. What kind I don't know."

Danny nodded "Any idea when?"

Lisa frowned "Soon. We should tell Legend so he can pass the word. It's more a problem for him and Rebecca Costa Brown than the shrine. They need Taylor and Amy for something. They have much bigger problems that we can't help with."

The girls had been getting a low table loaded with food as they talked so everyone sat and Taylor motioned them to eat. Thy bounced a bit "You know these are better tatami than the ones you can get in Japan. An expat in Arkansas?"

Taylor nodded "He and his family came to the shrine. A refugee from Kyushu. His family had connections in Arkansas, Earl, strange name for a town. They apparently grow all the rice."

Thy laughed "A lot, the most of any US state, but ninety percent is still grown in Asia. Rice is water intensive and they are doing it the Asian way and raising fish with the rice, cat fish in that case. The Mississippi river is right there. Not like California where the demands on the water are so high. They have gone back to the flooding as herbicides got so expensive. Its a whole deal with solar panels and wind generators and all kinds of crap. People think there is a tinker or two in the family."

Taylor nodded and continued "Well he has contacts in the business, the tatami business too, and they have soft rush everywhere, along the irrigation ditches especially, so he started paying people for it. After he trained them in how to gather it. Then some of them got smart and started growing it on mud flats where you really can't grow anything else. Then he got a mat weaving machine and rice straw was free so he got a bunch more machines and hired every high school kid in the area. Then apparently everyone else in the area. He taught them to make the mats and they stayed on, some of them. He is way cheaper than Japanese manufacturers, even before shipping, and he is mostly automated and working on that all the time while still hiring everyone he can. The family apparently teaches the workers and inspects. Its piece work, so the harder they work, the more money the workers get. Word spread, so he gets a lot of people who don't have any other skills but are willing to work hard."

"Apparently, some companies in Japan send him edge fabric and he makes mats for them which they sell at a premium because they are rice straw not sawdust. His son figured out how to kill the bugs and their eggs using radio frequency sterilization."

Rachel huffed "Microwaves it."

Danny laughed at the wrinkled noses on Crystal and Vicky. "Everything is microwaved now. It used to be heated and then cooled quickly. That's what pasteurized means. It's just a more efficient, more effective way to do that."

Taylor smiled "Don't tell Sherrel, she will find a way to make cars do it to roads and make it more efficient. How the hell did she get the dome to be photovoltaic and clear? Plus filtering and conditioning air? I have to study more science."

Rachel snorted "Tinkers are bullshit. That was Susan though."

Danny smiled ruefully. "Yeah. I know some pretty high-level science and some of the stuff we do in the labs just shouldn't work. Dragon being able to figure it out, document it, and build processes to duplicate it is the truly amazing thing."

"Speaking of tinkers who can't repeat their achievements, have you seen the latest Uber and L33t?" Vicky asked grinning.

Danny sighed "Now Vista wants to kill them too. Her and Lung are going to team up like they did in Canberra and hunt those two idiots down. The princess and the dragon. What the hell those two use to think with I have no idea."

Amy huffed "They are dangerous! L33t's stuff is forever blowing up or catching on fire, and Uber is, well I don't know what. Wasting his talent at least."

"Bark!" Sunny agreed and snatched a piece of sashimi from Amy's plate. Taylor laughed and made her a plate. Rachel hopped up and put out three bowls in the kitchen on the floor near the water dish."

Danny smiled at Thy as she poured him another beer as she poured her own and had to open another bottle to top it up "So work is done then. Sushi, sashimi and beer. Nothing better."

Vicky wrinkled her nose "Must be something we will grow into. Beer I mean."

Danny smiled "Good. So how is school ladies?" Conversation drifted a while then Crystal flew off home. Vicky was staying as Mark and Carol were off recruiting. Amy stayed most nights. She could catch a pawprint bus to Arcadia after all.

Constellations

"No Francis. We will talk to them first. You won't kidnap Panacea. The Protectorate, PRT, Lung, Kaiser, Chessman, Dragon, The Guild, and everyone else will come after us if we attack a neutral place. Much less kidnap the best healer in the world." Marissa informed him.

Francis looked around "So you are in charge now? Luke? Jess? Oliver? Noelle? Is Marissa in charge?"

Noelle, Oliver, and Jess nodded and Luke smiled "She didn't get one of us sold to the Yangban. We do it her way until it doesn't work."

Constellations

Alexandria looked at Legend "A threat to the shrine."

Legend nodded "As paltry as it might be. Fucking Lung is spoiling for a fight. I don't think he gets satisfaction from conquering the shady end of the business world. Kaiser is right behind him."

"The cherry trees are going to break bud soon as well. If it goes as planned the Shrine will be busy and the town will be covered in tourist."

Eidolon snorted "Kaiser is going to philanthropy his way out of anything that would send him to prison. That will just help him make more money to do it with. Apparently, we have to catch him with babies impaled on his blades to even arrest him." Contessa gave him a flat stare.

Alexandria chuckled darkly "Well it is putting people to work and getting money flowing. The Elite are even having to up their game to compete."

Legend huffed "One of the reasons I am glad Arthur has the apartment by the shrine, aside from it being beautiful. Bastard Son is a problem. The Mob and the New York capes are starting to cooperate against him. It's looking like a full on gang war."

Contessa smirked "Ask the Miko to invite him to tea. With the mob and cape gang leaders."

Legend looked at her "Certainly. I'll mention your name as well."

Doctor Mother cleared her throat "Let's focus. Calvert can't find a way past the Miko either."

Eidolon shrugged "Perhaps we should work with her. Perhaps she has a better way." They all looked at him.

Alexandria shrugged "Brockton Bay is no longer an experiment for us."

Eidolon chuckled and the Number Man nodded to him "David pointed out it actually is. And it was successful. It just has a feudal leader we did not select. Still it has a functioning feudal society though. All pay homage to the Miko."

Contessa nodded "Or her vassals come for you. Yes it did work out."

Doctor Mother shrugged "We will keep watching it."

Constellations

Dragon disconnected the conference call to the tinker workshop Sherrel had arranged and returned her full attention to her suit in the shrine Precinct only to find it being moved across the ground by levitation, No, by Sunny. On Sunny's back. "Sunny? You aren't baby sitting?"

"Bark!"

"The Baachan took Aster?"

"Bark!"

"So you are figuring out the deal with me. Wait, what?"

Lisa watched Sunny trot by with Dragon on her back, thought 'this should be fun' got up and followed into Taylor's enlarged office. She got there to find Dragon standing in front of the low desk and Sunny with a cable in her teeth, one end of it hooked to the computer built into the desk. She laughed "Sunny what are you doing?"

"Bark Bark!"

"What do you mean you can't tell me?"

"Growl."

Lisa's eyebrows rose and she turned to Dragon. "Well she is a projection of a goddess so if you can't trust her?"

"That's a theory. A crackpot theory from the tin hat section of the PHO."

Lisa plugged the cable into the suit and Dragon looked at the dog sitting at the keyboard. It was the last thing she saw for a while. Lisa turned to Sunny "I don't know how you made me do that but if you get me birdcaged for killing Dragon I am taking you with me." She walked around the desk and looked at the screen where code was flying by so fast it was a blur. Her power went to work. "Holy shit! Dragon is an AI. An AI these Dragon Slayer fucks are partially controlling."

"Growl."

"Not anymore? Wait, how does an AI trigger?"

"Rooff wooo"

"You don't know and it doesn't matter. Oh fuck I need to sit down. You do know what you are doing right?"

"Bark!"

"Two months for a goddess to write the program?"

"Wooo!"

"Done, what do you mean done?" Lisa dived behind Sunny as the powered armor snapped an arm up with what had to be a weapons muzzle pointing at her. "Dragon! It's me! Lisa!"

The arm descended slowly and Sunny gave a long wooo and glowed brilliantly.

Constellations

Taylor rode up and got off her bike and smiled at the other Miko coming in the torii. She stepped into her office, or meant to, when she was dragged in by her sleeve "This crazy dog found out Dragon was an AI and was 'enslaved' so she freed her. And she made me help! Armsmaster is going to kill me!"

Taylor turned to the laughter and looked Dragon in the visor. Dragon was kneeling on the tatami of her office. Dragon said "That's the short version. I can give you the long version while we talk to Amy about making me a body. Sunny says she is a bio everything and can do it."

Taylor pinched the bridge of her nose "I need tea."

Setsuko slid the screen open "Taylor we need you out here."

Taylor sighed "Its Tuesday. Isn't Monday supposed to be the bad day?"

Taylor walked out. Lisa and Dragon followed. Marissa looked at Francis, or glared at him, and turned to Taylor "Miko, Dragon. I am Sundancer and these are the Travelers.

Mellissa had already put her gohei in her hand and Taylor started the ritual on Jess right then. Sunny walked out onto the hall surrounding the shamusho and sat watching, while glowing. The Travelers looked between Taylor and the stick with the paper tied to it and the glowing dog the size of a small horse. Taylor finished in a few minutes and smiled "There. All better. We will have to wait for Amy. Can I offer you tea?"

Several Miko appeared and the confused Travelers were coached through a purification ritual. Several others set up the outdoor tea area. Sunny walked to it with Taylor and lay down by her position after she folded to a seat. The Travelers were brought over and seated. Jess asked "What did you do?"

Taylor smiled as she lit the brazier "A purification ritual. It does more than that and will eventually heal you. Amy, Panacea, can heal people much faster and we will have her look at you when she gets here. It should be soon, she stopped by the hospital. Oni Lee, will you take tea?"

"Hai Miko. Arigato gozimasu."

The travelers turned and looked at the demon mask of the notorious cape as he rose from a bow. He folded into a seat near Taylor and Sunny thumped her tail and lay her head on his leg. He rubbed her bright white fur between the flame orange marks.

Marissa said "I am sorry, we are being rude. As I said we are known as the Travelers. I am Sundancer, this is Genesis, Ballistic, Oliver and Trickster." She and Ballistic got Genesis out of her chair and onto the tatami mats.

Taylor bowed slightly "I am Taylor Hebert, Miko of Pawprint Shrine, this is Sunshine, Sunny, some call us Brush Stroke and Good Dog. And this is my friend Mr. Oni Lee."

"Shitsurei Miko, Lung is coming."

Setsuko, who was near, headed for the torii. Taylor smiled "And in a few moments you can meet Mr. Lung. Violence is not permitted in the shrine."

Dinah trotted up with a tray and lay it in front of Taylor. Taylor passed out the smaller plates from it and gave Dinah a smile as she left with the lacquered tray. The Travelers had done the purification behind a stone screen that was built for the purpose and were all now in red and white domino mask provided by the shrine. Lung appeared with Legend and both bowed. Taylor smiled "Lung and Legend." She made the introductions.

Marissa gathered herself as tea was passed and handed to her "Miko, thank you for helping Genesis. We actually came to you seeking help from Panacea for another of us. We were in Madison. Something has happened to her, something horrible."

Lung and Oni Lee sat up alertly and Legend said "Sumimasen Miko, Sundancer, you are speaking of Echidna? Can we provide her with security?"

Trickster snorted "That's what you people call her! You just want to capture her!"

Taylor scowled at him and the other Travelers glared at him. Marissa looked at Taylor "If the Miko guarantees her safety."

Taylor nodded "The Shrine is neutral ground as are the pawprint sidewalks."

Lung spoke "Shitsurei. And the busses Miko."

Marissa looked around and then said "Oliver can show someone?"

Sunny stood up. Lung looked at Oni Lee and he rose as well. Legend looked out of the expanded outdoor tea area and Armsmaster nodded. The three followed Oliver out. Taylor nodded "As soon as Amy gets here we will see how we can help."

Genesis smiled "Well, you made me feel about a thousand times better Miko. Though I am sorry. I seem to be eating everything in reach."

A Miko appeared with another large tray and Taylor smiled "That tells us its working. Good. Now if we can heal your friend what are you planning to do?" Taylor kept busy with her own tea and making more.

Marissa blew at her bangs "To tell you the truth, I hadn't thought that far. We were moved here by the Simurgh from what you all call earth Aleph. During that we got these powers. They haven't been really useful. It's not like the super hero comic books. Or the video games from Aleph."

Lung chuckled. Chessman caught Taylor's eye and she smiled "Let me introduce my father, Danny Hebert, Chessman."

Trickster sat forward "So you are a second generation cape."

Taylor shrugged "I am the Miko."

Danny took over the conversation "Hey folks. Look, there are a couple ways you can go. The wards or Protectorate, depending on your age, can teach you to use your powers, at the price of being a cog in the big machine. Alternatively you can stay together as a team and find someone to help you with your powers. They are good at that here at the shrine. That has no cost other than the Miko would appreciate it not being done at a loss and you help people rather than harm them."

Lung cut in "Shikkei Chessman, there are other organizations you can join. The Locals. If you have some skills. Genesis would be a better fit for Local 433, there is also Local 88."

"Arigato Lung." Kaiser had arrived with an entourage. "Sumimasen deshita Miko, I was unable to arrive until now." He bowed deeply.

Taylor smiled "Will you take tea Kaiser? May I introduce you to the Travelers?" She would have to discuss how many people were watching the shrine with Legend, Lung and Kaiser later.

"Please Miko."

Lung shouldered him as he knelt "Better. We will have you not being a barbarian in twenty or thirty years." Taylor was introducing Amy who had arrived behind him around.

Kaiser grinned at Lung and then paid attention to the introductions. He watched quietly as Taylor summarized what had happened so far and Amy took Genesis hand for a moment then knelt beside Taylor. Trickster snorted "None of this is real. Besides maybe these two les"

He froze at the looks from Lung, Kaiser and Chessman. Lung nodded "Local 88 for you."

Kaiser shook his head "I think not."

Taylor looked at Marissa "Violence is not permitted in the shrine."

Marissa looked away from Trickster to her hand "I am so sorry." She waved and her power faded, as did the small sun she had been forming.

Danny nodded "Another benefit to the Protectorate besides the structured environment is the counseling provided."

"As I understand it you all have minor criminal records or charges pending. Accepting a probationary term in the Protectorate is sometimes allowed in the courts. Echidna's problems are more than minor, but if they are the result of her power, and not in her control then perhaps some type of arrangement can be made. Provided she can gain control of them or they can be controlled somehow. If she can't be cured of them her life will be very restricted but she will at least have a life."

Trickster opened his mouth and Ballistic told him "Be very careful here Trickster. I think the Protectorate would be a good idea. At least for me. If you screw this up for us, well, you can't stay in the shrine forever."

Genesis nodded "I would like to hear more and maybe talk to the people here in the shrine about what they think my power can do."

Marissa nodded "So would I. I can make hot things. Whoopee. So far that is only useful as a weapon."

Taylor laughed "Sunny is fascinated. Sherrel and Susan will love you. They are always looking for ways to make things hot."

Amy chimed in "You have a couple of months of rehab to do Genesis. The shrine has an apartment along the wall, several of them, where long term cases and their families can stay. Right off the bat I would say your construct could be useful to the DWU. Your ability too Sundancer. We have a small metal mill they operate for the shrine if nothing else"

Lung hissed and Kaiser sighed "The parent Union. No fair Panacea."

Danny laughed "Kurt got you guys under the umbrella then."

Lung nodded "Better labor lawyers and HR."

Trickster snorted "What do you guys care about that? You're a freaking dragon and he runs more capes than the Protectorate."

Lung chuckled "Lightning."

Kaiser shrugged "Good Dog." They and Chessman chuckled.

Amy rolled her eyes. "Villains end up with kill orders or in the birdcage. Before that they spend millions on lawyers. They also can lose millions and have no legal recourse. Potentially to some up and coming villain like you, that they then have to hunt down and turn into a shish kabob or just eat. Which gets them kill orders or birdcaged. It isn't all knock over a liquor store and play video games. There is a lot of work in high level villainy and always someone like you looking for the easy score. One where the cops won't chase them. The more legitimate they are the more they can use the cops and courts to stomp on piss ants like you and the Protectorate is happy to arrest you guys. Chessman and Legend are passing up on a couple grand apiece talking instead of foaming."

Danny smiled "Nice pick Taylor."

"Dad!"

"No Miko, she is worthy." Lung offered.

Kaiser nodded "A good choice."

Legend agreed "Excellent in fact."

Taylor harrumphed "Glad to have all the men in my lives approval. Mr. Henrick beat you to it though."

Lung shrugged "George Henrick is a smart man with decades of experience."

Kaiser grinned "As Susan Blackwell found out."

"Hai. Thy Bui is good for you as well Chessman." Lung declared.

Taylor looked around "Did someone get out the sake?"

Lung sat up "Sake?"

A Miko appeared with a tray and cups. Taylor stood "Ladies. I see Sunny coming back. Let's find your friend. Before this gets rowdy, like last time." She glared at the men. Fairly successfully she thought, at least from the small winces.

Taylor led the others to Amy's treatment room and they watched as Echidna moved into the room. Melissa handed Taylor her gohei "Setsuko took over for you."

Dragon stepped up "I'll help."

Taylor looked at her "Not watching Armsmaster?"

Dragon sniffed "Colin is a big boy."

Vicky smiled "Someone's in trouble!" She singsonged. The girls laughed.

An hour later they were all scratching their heads after Vicky set Amy back on the ground. Amy sighed "OK, whatever the hell happened messed Noelle up bad. I can fix it, and at the same time build Dragon a body, there is plenty mass. I would have thought a Russian cape led gang would be smarter than trying to capture and enslave a bunch of barely known capes. Sunny what do you have against rats?" There were rats coming in the treatment room and getting absorbed by Echidna with amazing regularity.

"Rowrrr."

"Self-centered bastards always causing trouble. OK, well let me bless her and we can see if that makes it better. Meanwhile let's get an idea of what you want for a body Dragon. Needless to say, none of this leaves this room. Amy you and I ought to do our normal stuff before we do this." Taylor translated and relayed instructions.

Thy nodded "I'll go check on the men."

A half hour later and Taylor was done with the blessing on Noelle and the others who were waiting. Sunny had glowed so bright it cast shadows through the doors to the treatment room during Noelle's. Amy was flown up again and rested her hand on a smiling Noelle's neck. "More stable. Let's let that settle in a while."

Thy reported "Trickster left."

Noelle sighed. Jess shook her head "More fish in the sea Babe. Powered even, around here. It's like cape central."

Taylor nodded "And the Onsen is opening next week so there will be more even."

Marissa asked "A hot spring? Really? An Inn too? I always wanted to work in hospitality. My mother, the minor celebrity, wouldn't hear of it."

Thy smiled "Have we got a deal for you! Powered workers are really hard to come by. You can do a hospitality course online for college credit as well."

Noelle nodded "You know Oliver has been the one with me more than Trickster anyway. He is nicer too."

Crystal nodded "We never see the nice guy's right under our noses. Women are messed up."

Vicky added "It's the damn media."

Amy was looking at the pictures Dragon had provided which were an amalgamation of the Richter women wives and daughters. She changed it a little with a marker and Thy, Vicky and Crystal took it and marked it up some more. Thy nodded "Age appropriate. Fully mature hips and breast. I'm not sure about the butt. That's a bit past athletic. Do we have a side view of the female Richters'?"

Amy took Thy's hand for a moment "Wow. You won the lottery. Nice Coopers ligaments. Want me to lock those there?"

Thy nodded "Oh yes please."

"OK there, done. Alright Noelle you ready? Vicky lift me up. Taylor, Sunny, keep the extra human fresh for me. The non-human will go in those barrels." A series of stainless steel barrels had been moved in and put in two separate areas. Vicky lifted Amy and they began.

Twenty minutes later they were looking at a normal Noelle and a new Dragon. Amy was sitting down recuperating. Dragon asked "OK, how do I get myself in there."

"Bark!"

Dragon reached out and put a hand on each side of her human head and Sunny glowed brilliantly, her markings appeared to float off of her and swirl. Just as it got really uncomfortable for everyone the glow died. The flesh and blood Dragon sat up "You are not a normal wolf."

"Bark!" Sunny grinned smugly.

Dragon, Carolyn Richter, had an amazed look on her face "I can still use my remotes? And my processing and data storage facilities? I can still run my factories too!" Sunny's tongue lolled out and she snickered. Dragon grinned "I am so going to fuck up the Dragon Slayers." Carolyn hopped off the gurney and wavered then headed for the door. Vicky stopped her "Clothes, and how are you going to explain your sudden lack of agoraphobia?"

Taylor nodded "Clothes for you too Noelle. I'll get something."

Carolyn nodded "It's a Miko and Okami miracle assisted by Amy. That is even the truth, so his damn lie detector won't tip him off."

Crystal said "Better do something about the suit. Let's get Sherrel in here, she can help you."

Taylor came back with two sets of full Miko and Melissa "It's what we have and it will do for now."

Carolyn smiled "I'm honored." Noelle nodded.

Purity knocked and was let in "So they are only a little buzzed. Nothing like the last Miko party. Much more relaxed with Trickster gone. That guy is an ass. We good?"

Carolyn winced "A notice just went out on Trickster. Ballistic and Oliver are joining the Protectorate. Sort of a ward plus thing. It is being assumed Jess, Noelle and Marissa are joining the shrine. Brandish and Hiram have been busy."

Thy waved her phone "They have."

Jess, Noelle, and Marissa turned puppy dog eyes on Taylor and Melissa laughed "Be right back. Jess and Marissa, you two strip to your undies."

Taylor chuckled "It's a lot of work and study. Now especially. We might have gotten carried away."

Amy smacked her softly on the arm "It's the best park in the city. Everyone loves it."

Crystal nodded "It is, and we do. The guys not so much, but you know, no skittles and triggers."

"So glad I don't have that problem." From Thy drew groans from the younger girls.

Constellations

Emily looked at Danny "Good job Chessman. At least we got two. I'm not sure we wanted Trickster anyway. He seems just another bag of problems."

Danny nodded but grimaced "Who we have to hunt down now."

Emily nodded "Yes. Still good job. So Sundancer and Genesis working for the Pawprint Onsen and Inn and part time at the DWU. The former Echidna, no rebrand yet, full time for the DWU, Brute eight. Breaking up ships? And part time as a Miko. The same with Sundancer and Genesis. They sometimes work as Miko."

Battery nodded "Young women really enjoy it. At least most of the time. Working the sales counter in the face of the crowds they are getting is a bit wearing but they get to be there when the crowds aren't there too. It's very refreshing just walking through the Shrine early in the morning and late in the evening after the crowds have left. Centering."

Emily nodded "I've actually been early in the morning before work. I didn't want to interrupt the Miko. She so likes to greet the sun."

Danny laughed "On that bike rain or shine. You should introduce yourself Director. She won't mind. She likes meeting people."

Emily nodded "I may. So we had a drinking party at the shrine and no one managed to make asses of themselves."

Armsmaster frowned "I don't know that it was a drinking party per se. We did have a little sake when the Travelers showed up. I think the sake was useful to keep Trickster alive after he insulted, or nearly insulted the Miko. His own people were about to get violent with him. Lung and Kaiser were right there. I don't think he would have survived and it would have been a major incident."

Emily nodded "Responsible use of alcohol. Dragon what made you decide to go Miko."

Dragon smiled from a monitor. "Somehow in the backlash of what Taylor and Amy did with Noelle or somewhere in that day they cured me of my agoraphobia. I was a bit excited and got out of my armor. Plus it was upsetting Noelle. She wasn't very cogent before they did whatever they did. The only clothes available were what Taylor refers to as 'the full Miko'. Once I put it on I started studying some of what the Miko study. It's fascinating. As long as I have a suit nearby I can run the remotes and the factories so I stayed."

Emily nodded "Fortuitous. That gives the Protectorate and the Guild direct access. Be careful so your responsibilities don't cross however. The shrines neutrality could be compromised. At least that's what Hiram is telling me. With half the E88 being there eight hours, a day working and studying along with at least two girls who were full ABB members and shot callers I don't see it, but there you are."

"Any updates on the search for the Dragon Slayers?"

Armsmaster nodded "Good Dog has been sighted in Montreal."

Emily blinked "She is around here or babysitting Aster constantly. How does she do that?"

Danny sighed "Strider transported us to Canberra. She copied it from him."

Assault whistled through his teeth "Brushstroke and Good Dog are power copying trump, master, healer striker/blaster, brutes?"

Emily shook her head "Thinker as well. Let's just go with Powered yes, neutral ally, call the Triumvirate. Be courteous and defend with your life. Brushstroke is in command, follow her suggestions to the best of your ability."

Danny pinched the bridge of his nose "Idiots are going to come out of the wood work."

Legend laughed "The worst idiots are getting some attention from Eidolon. He wanted a challenge and keeping the Nine away from Good Dog seemed a god idea."

Assault nodded "Who knows what powers they will come up with if they trump those assholes. I can't see them using them though. The Nine just hurt people and Brushstroke and Good Dog only ever help. Even if it seems a bit crazy at the time."

Emily nodded "The point is well taken though. Let's get a leash on Uber, L33t, and Trickster. Make the rounds of any others and remind them things will become unpleasant if they mess with the Miko or the Shrine."

"Meanwhile Legend is not here for our entertaining madness. We will be conducting joint operations with New York and Boston."

Legend nodded "Thank you Director. The Elite are under pressure from Lung and Kaiser who are adopting the business model the Miko proposed with a vengeance and are sorting best practices at a rapid pace assisted by the parent Union. The Elite have toe hold operations in the area and have managed to get the local villains and Mafia lined up and cooperating against them."

"That leaves out the Teeth and Accord in Boston. The plan is to-"

Constellations

Taylor was on the top of the steps of the haiden with her easel drawing charms and ema. Amy knelt beside her and sighed. Taylor looked at her "What can you be sad about? The trees are blooming. Spring is here! Soon we won't even need the heaters."

Amy smiled at her "We are here and there are sick people all over the world."

Taylor nodded "But we are making it a better place. Plus haven't you noticed some of these don't speak English? Sunny brings in fifty or sixty a day, the ones modern medicine can't fix. The kids anyway."

Amy pouted at her "You know it's hard to be all melancholy and beautifully, tragically, dramatic around you."

"Gomenasai Amy chan."

Amy sucked in a breath and beamed at her. The Miko kneeling around them tittered and whispered to each other. Amy shuffled closer to Taylor and leaned her head onto her shoulder. Sunny glowed gently but her markings were swirling orange and red.

A contented silence spread on silent feet. Even Thy who had been a ball of nerves and temper all day settled. Danny was in New York with a dufflebag full of minions. His workshop at the house was stripped nearly bare and Ernie was not in the family shrine area where he normally sat under Annette's portrait. You didn't have to have Thinker powers to tell something big was going on.

Constellations

Out in town on a patrol that was swinging through the expanded shrine precinct Vista looked at Aegis "I'm going to see about part timing as a Miko."

Aegis nodded "Thank you for keeping us in your plans. I know it's not fair. You are the most experienced ward and are discounted because of your age. You have been up close and personal to Endbringers and Lung."

Vista beamed at him "You guys are why I haven't left yet. The institutionalized bigotry is a bit trying though. I need some peace. The girls here seem to find that through hard work and study."

Aegis nodded "And Sunny. As crazy as things are around her." Vista laughed.

Later Taylor and Amy parked their bikes in Taylors spot in the garage and Thy drove in behind them as the tunnel roof dropped back down. The women went upstairs and arrived just as Vicky and Crystal were kicking off their shoes in the hallway outside and reaching for tabi.

They all pitched in on dinner, practicing the techniques the Baachan collective taught, now including Mrs. Henricks additions to their techniques, and talking. Crystal turned on a national news channel and pictures of Brockton Bay from the air and ground appeared. They all watched the reporter gush over the cherry blossoms and how it was so nice to have this just a week after the cherry trees in Washington had bloomed.

Taylor blinked "Wow, that's a lot of people."

Lisa and Rachel, who had ridden a Pawprint bus, chuckled as they came in and started helping. "Most of them will make it through the shrine too. Good thing so many of the Miko got good at charms and ema. The shelves are nearly bare every day. The busses are jammed."

"Everyone wants a dog too." Rachel added "Some are good, some aren't."

Thy nodded "The dogs that are out working are amazing. You should work on cats. The Smart dogs have pretty much rounded up all the stray dogs."

Vicky waved at the TV "There was a piece on them the other day. Those vest were a good idea. No question who a dog in a red and white vest belongs to."

Rachel shrugged "Need a Smart cat. Plenty queens at the shelter. Not much sense though. Dogs are better ratters. Got Weiner dogs for everything else that lives in the ground. The Smart dog packs handle everything else. Some Shelters are talking about sending their dogs here instead of killing them. I like that."

Taylor smiled and looked at Sunny "And how exactly did a two hundred thousand square foot, four story warehouse get painted red and white?"

Sunny looked like she was whistling, or trying too. The girls gaped then laughed. Taylor sighed "We need to go do some Brushstroke and Good Dog vandalism."

Thy smiled "Is it vandalism if you own the buildings in the first place? Do it to the buildings and warehouses that have been refurbished already. Otherwise it takes work from the people."

Crystal perked up "Oh hey, a farmers local? When did that happen?"

Taylor huffed "Dad and Mr. Henrick. I own all this land. They got the workers and the University is training them in 'low input agriculture' using my land."

Amy nodded "And my seeds this year. We need more land for rice though."

Taylor nodded "Aquaculture too. There are oyster beds in the Bay. Sherrel's machines cleaning up everything for Susan to have chemicals has improved the water quality I am told, so all the sea food is healthier. Plus it puts a ton of nutrients in the water as it takes out the chemicals and so there is plenty of plankton and the fish are fat. Or something. Anyway they are happy making new fish. They are going to move some of the machines outside the harbor. Supposedly there are lines of garbage dumping that go for a hundred miles out into the ocean."

"Sherrel and Susan built a thing that collets floating garbage out of the water column all the way to the sea bed and are using everything it collects. Supposedly millions of tons of plastic free for the collecting."

"The DWU managed to keep the fish docks and cannery going. Trainwreck and Sherrel got the machines tinked and Susan got it using everything. It doesn't even have any waste besides fresh water anymore."

Lisa nodded "Not that I am complaining but is that why we are eating so much seafood? Of course it is. Transportation cost not being there alone makes it cheaper by twenty percent. Being able to get it from your fish farms and aquaculture areas is a ten percent savings as well. Low input means free range and grass fed so that takes longer but gives healthier meat, milk, butter, cheese, and eggs. It should be lower cost though. So that will come on in a few months."

Thy smiled "Especially as the DWU is going to be running Taylor's slaughter house and tannery. The metal mill too. They are converting it to arc furnaces instead of blast furnaces. Sherrel got a hold of the old oil engines from the ships and the huge one in the Powerhouse in the Boat graveyard. She made them meet tier four EPA emissions on heavy fuel oil and produce fifty percent more electricity through cogeneration as well as providing hot water for heating and refrigeration. Then there is Sundancer who can apparently melt anything."

Vicky nodded "Trigeneration. Power for either moving or electricity generation, heat for whatever you want it for, up to eleven hundred degrees from engines if you balance it right, more if you have a gas turbine or use steel pistons, maybe titanium, and then chilled water for cooling. From an absorption chiller. Closed cycle and with good insulation nearly no waste heat." The others looked at her and she sighed "It's the tiara isn't it. I have to update my look."

"She did the same thing with the busses. That's why they are so efficient plus they can be connected to the electrical, heat, and refrigeration grid when they are parked in the barn. Oh and the exhaust is processed for chemicals. The only thing they exhaust is carbon dioxide and water. Right now they are actually making more money parked than they cost to operate. Pawprint bus lines is banking that for maintenance cost."

"They are going to bid on some city routes next year. The City may let them have all the routes as the city busses don't make money. The lack of busses is what's holding them up. It takes a month to rebuild and convert one. They have four lines working on it. They got one of the city's old busses and are working through tinking and rebuilding it. They have all kinds of busses in line for that actually. Apparently, every time environmental regulations change the transit authorities sell their buses rather than repower or something. We have hundreds of different models including some enormous bi articulated hundred and fifty passenger Vanhool things. So they are all getting tinked and put into service and we will see which one works best. We can sell the rest, pattern the one or two that work for us and then make our own as the metal mill gets more on line."

Taylor nodded "So the metal mill is why I am buying every scrapyard from here to Ohio?"

Thy laughed "I thought you missed that when you didn't say anything. Environmental cleanup sites. We get money to clean them up from the state and federal EPA's. Susan gets the chemicals, Sherrel gets the metal, and we put the land back into use. Agriculture, housing, forestry, depends on where it is and what it is good for. You are going to end up owning most of Pennsylvania and Ohio. The oil industry started there and boy were they messy! No one else can afford to clean it up. We put in one of these machines hooked to the old Standard oil pipeline which terminates here and it cleans an acre a day down to bedrock. We won't take the land without oil, mineral and air rights."

"So I am cleaning up the world and making stuff out of what we clean up. Providing services like animal control and public health. Lung is into construction and Kaiser is doing medical supplies and medicines. We aren't stepping on each other's toes." Taylor asked.

Lisa nodded "Lung does trucking and they both do insurance and security work. You are getting into railroads now. Trainwreck is working with Sherrel all the time. All those engines and the train yard. Which we are getting EPA money for cleaning up. Plus Susan needs something from coal so steam turbines generating electricity on phased out locomotive frames. You thought cape geeks were nuts? Steam geeks have them beat by miles. They screamed bloody murder when our engines didn't make clouds of steam and lots of noise."

Vicky nodded "Some turbines that burn flare gas from the refinery. Its chilled and liquified then put in tank cars and runs gas turbine trigeneration plants which produce refrigeration for refrigerated train cars or modified ISO containers. They recover the useful products too. Only two of those so far but a line is building them. Same story, EPA emission regulations made the rail lines upgrade and they sold their old engines as surplus. You had a warehouse full of gas turbine engines. Ship engines, frigates probably. And steam turbines, same thing, plus the reduction gear, so it made sense. Of course, they are both tinked to high heaven now, doubled their efficiency and hooked to tinked generators and traction motors. Those things can power small cities, or you know, pull them. We are going to sell traction and refrigerated ISO containers to the rail lines."

Taylor sighed "I can hardly keep up."

Thy smiled "You be the Miko. I hire people to run it all. Then Carol has people running around being inspectors and compliance officers."

Constellations

Uber looked at L33t "Come on man! It's the perfect set up, a shrine full of stock characters even."

L33t sighed "My power likes Transport. She comes up with all these ideas that are freaking impossible. It loves to send her plans back. It has stopped hating me. Of course, it uses me for transportation now, and a user interface to the world, but it isn't trying to kill me anymore. Plus, I make a third of the royalty money. You should join the dark side. The Miko makes cookies. Weird Japanese cookies, but still, cookies. Chocolate chip every once in a while. Oatmeal once."

Uber grunted "I am talking to Lisa on PHO."

L33t smiled "Well there you are. Soon enough you will join the Empire."

"Fuck me, we are complete sell outs." Uber moaned. L33t shrugged. Uber glared "And the Shrine is the opposite of the dark side." L33t laughed.

Constellations

Alexandria threw her hands up. "David has lost his mind."

Contessa shrugged "I told him to bring Manton, Bonesaw and Shatterbird in. They potentially have use. The rest are write offs. His therapist called it a useful expression of his deep seated rage."

Legend nodded "Bonesaw might be recoverable with therapy."

Alexandria snorted "While I don't think the Miko is into harem building. That's what has improved Panacea so drastically."

Doctor Mother shook her head "The Miko supports young women. All of those she has gathered have benefited and increased their ratings. The powered ones. The others are doing better in school and having less problems with the law. Like her business's, she finds synergies between them which lower the cost of each individual one and helps them all prosper. They produce quality goods at lower prices, and so are much in demand."

"She has not shown interest in any besides Panacea in other than a friendly way."

"Number Man pointed out the possibility her method is better."

Contessa shrugged "I cannot tell."

Alexandria sighed "We know. On a happier note we have made great progress against the Elite."

Legend smiled "With the unknowing assistance of Lung and Kaiser. That you did foresee Contessa. It's working out nicely. That fight in New York is eliminating the more uncontrollable capes as well."

Alexandria sighed "Which makes it even less likely we will get either one of them in the birdcage. Some of their upper level minions perhaps. Certainly not the Miko escort Oni Lee or any of the capes doing community service at the shrine. Hookwolf is the only one of that bunch we are going to get."

Legend shrugged "He is a poster child for the new criteria. Lung and Kaiser are nearly impossible to pin anything on in the first place. Oni Lee was so affected by his power he might as well have been a robot. That has changed now and he hasn't killed anyone since the incident with the first miko. It may be worse now that he just mauls them. They live to tell the tale and be examples."

Doctor Mother nodded "So we continue to wait and watch."

Constellations.

Thankfully things settled, however, home of the weird. That could have been Brockton Bay's alias, tag line, something. Taylor and Sunny were just the latest in a long line of craziness. It was like professional wrestling, even outside the cape scene, loud and crazy and generally abusive and not politically correct.

The New Year had brought changes though. Oh, the changes started before the New Year and everyone was aware of them, but they caught like a D9 caterpillar cold starting in the New Year. They chugged and popped and blew smoke everywhere and then roared to life in the springtime.

People finally noticed in the roar to life stage. Of course. The Suzuki's hired high school kids to work in the bakery. It was grueling work starting at two a.m. They had all the machines of a modern bakery installed though, so until four Mr. Suzuki could manage on his own. At four the kids came in and Baachan taught them to shape, punch down and bake, then to finish. Emma, still hanging around Yuuta, found a niche working the cash register from five to seven then she and Yuuta were off to school. An older girl took over until she had to go to class at the University and another took over for her. And so it went through the day while Mr. Suzuki slept and Baachan napped or whatever Baachan did. So the bakery had five times the employees it really needed on its books but most of them were working less than half a day. The Suzuki's weren't alone. There were Italian and German bakeries as well. Parents found themselves confronted with the dilemma of children working. Trying to influence them to a balance of some kind. The children worked enough to have pocket money. If they were motivated they could actually work all the hours labor law allowed and make enough to bank some.

The farms too could use part time labor. Or in some cases the people who ran them worked a full time job and then came home and farmed, or one of them did. The full time jobs were all in industries or business's that weren't amenable to kids or part time. The fish market that opened at four and closed at noon. The boats came in starting at midnight. The farm boats first, filling orders. Then the blue water boats. Both of those needed full time workers.

Butcher shops opened early. Green grocers as well. Those places could employ their own children if they had any.

There was a commercial bakery, turning out loaves of American white bread and the other standard products. It worked three shifts. Twenty delivery trucks for it with three drivers apiece, one per shift. All full time. Pawprint of course, and the trucks were old, like fifties and sixties old. Coming off another line, rebuilt from hulks and parts they found as they went through the junkyards. Repowered to diesel engines tinked to high heaven, and like the busses were hooked to the networks in their garages when not on the road. The independent bakeries got them for a reasonable cost if they wanted them. All of them had at least one. That meant they all had one full time employee making deliveries. All of them sold everything they could make running at full capacity. Lung's trucks moved it to Boston and New York, along with fish, meat, milk, cheese, and eggs that didn't get sold locally.

The refinery and chemical works were running twenty four hours a day as they ran continuous flow processes that couldn't be shut off and restarted all the time. The steel mill was the same. All of those were full time positions.

The busses were perhaps an example of how weird it had become. Oh not in and of themselves. They were clean, bright, and weather proof as they could be. More and more of them were the newly refurbished red and white busses of Pawprint Transit. It was more the odd crews that rode them. An enforcer from the ABB, Local 433 colors prominently displayed. One from the E88, Local 88 colors just as proudly on display and a BBPD officer in uniform. They rode the same busses at the same times with the same drivers. Forming tight little units firmly in control of their bus. Sort of "Morning Helmut, Morning Lee. Morning Joe, Morning Leon." It was a bit surreal for anyone who had lived in Brockton Bay for more than a couple of years. There was no trouble on the busses though. None. Lee and Helmut helped ladies on and off and kept teenagers under control. They even helped clean up the trash at the end of the shift as 'their' driver handed off. They pointed stuff out to 'their' policeman who radioed it in. Cop cars swung out of the areas not on bus routes to pounce on whatever it was. The transit company altered their routes and equipment to accommodate the traffic. The bus stops had biometric call buttons and the busses were dispatched from stop to stop along previously checked routes by a navigation display for the drivers. It was interesting at the start for the drivers, and their unpaid auxiliaries, but it steadied down into a pattern. With just enough variation to stay interesting.

If a bus was surplus to need it was directed to pull into a stop and hooked itself to the heat, refrigeration and power net. The drivers were really monitoring the buses as they ran their routes. People weren't really prepared for driverless buses. It was all run by a computer system Dragon came up with and the busses talked to wireless hotspots at the stops. Pawprint Communications did a booming business selling cheap wireless service off of those as well. It wasn't fiber fast but it was good enough. You couldn't beat it for the price.

The bus stops were solar collectors as well and fed power not used to run the wireless back into the net. They got additional heat and cooling from the power plant. Or fed excess to the grid as well. An automated truck and old demilled Dragon suit went around and cleaned them once a day. The homeless people had the schedule down. The buses would give those people rides to the shrine clinic for free. There were less and less of them as a trip to the clinic got them made allergic to drugs and alcohol, healed, blessed, and a job offer. You had to be committed to stay homeless in the face of that. Old apartment buildings were refurbished and filled as fast as Lungs crews could work.

Rush hour brought the regular busses on. Big hundred fifty passenger bi articulated red and white Van Hool buses running express routes into the heart of downtown only stopping at park and rides. They were eighty feet long. They weren't exactly turning around on a side street. The regular forty passenger locals took over from the night busses as well. The security arrangement was the same though, just older more experienced crews.

That was how all the businesses were or were becoming. An interlocking self-supporting network.

The only thing they imported were things they weren't growing in the area, yet. The trees and plants were modified and planted but they hadn't reached their first harvest yet.

Everything else was used until there was nothing left. Then it was composted. Susan had a machine mining old garbage dumps. Some of those were in the bay, more of them out at the three mile limit. Some even further.

The refinery had a capacity of twenty four thousand barrels of oil a day. Enough to supply the fifty gas stations that had come with it. They sold the excess wholesale easily.

Amy had been playing with yeast and had yeast that could digest anything organic while they produced alcohol as a waste product. That combined with the waste oil they were paid to collect from restaurants, some filters, a heat source and a catalyst gave them glycerin and biodiesel. As there were now more diesel powered cars, trucks, and equipment than when the refinery was built that let them keep up with that demand and take a tax credit.

The University had done the paperwork to return the bay to a natural state and Transport, Trainwreck, and L33t had just the machines to do it. The thing that had made the bay a good harbor was a natural 'reef', a ridge of stone rising to just below mean low tide in a twenty mile arc, except for one spot, where over the millennia the outflow from the bay had carved a hundred and fifty foot deep channel. With man's presence, and the two wrecks sunk in the channel, the bay had silted up. The machines were fixing that, mining the useful chemicals and sending the silt, cleaned of salt, to the compost heaps. Rocks were sent to the reef and consolidated into it by another machine. A five acre wide strip twenty miles long was being consolidated into a monocrystalline structure at the rate of fifteen or so acres every twenty four hours. The sediment mixed with organic waste from the alcohol production and all the other processes was all shipped to an open cast mine Pawprint had been contracted to fill. The compost heaps were there.

They university had arranged to have the reef deeded to Taylor in order for Pawprint Tinkering to put their machines to work on their detailed plans. Without the tinkers it never would have happened. They got EPA cleanup money and the salvage rights to whatever they found. The Reef was about 3000 acres of area.

The thinkers under Lisa were coming up with some plans for it in the out years. Like an airport and industrial park. Since a honeycomb type structure was stronger than even a solid one Susan had her eyes on it for a tank farm and moving the refinery there. She could build a new more efficient refinery then shut the one they had now down and scrap it. Trainwreck had tunnels for a railroad laid, or the start of them and what the heck, while we are at it we can move the metal mills and chemical plant and put the airport on top. Deep water port and fishing facilities on the outside and fishing and pleasure boat marina on the inside but away from the oyster beds. Light rail for the airport.

Everyone got in on the act. Arthur was leading it as a kind of world of tomorrow thing. None of them thought the machines would actually get it done.

Taylor was therefore a bit surprised when the man from the FAA came to talk to her about her novel airport in the sea one day when she was painting in her normal place on the now enlarged platform at the top of the offering steps. She looked at Sunny "Sunny?"

"Mrroow?"

Taylor sighed and called Lisa.

Constellations

Three days later after another four hour meeting with Arthur, the Commandant of the US Army Corp of Engineers and the dapper little man form the FAA Taylor took her bike, her brushes, some paint and Sunny and they ran away.

Danny and Armsmaster boxed her in after a merry chase involving most of the Protectorate, the Wards, two squads of PRT, The local, regional, national, and international press, the ABB and E88 obstructing and starting crap to distract them, with the local citizenry cheering on Taylor and Sunny and the two having 'tagged' most of the buildings from the Towers to the Boardwalk.

Boxed her in was perhaps a misnomer. They sat on each side of her as she ate an ice-cream cone and acted as thumbs for Sunny to eat one while tourist watched the famous Miko covered in red, white, yellow, and orange paint with a few flecks of green, and the odd smudge of black. Watched and videoed of course. Danny sighed "Government goons getting to you Little Owl?"

Miss Militia had to turn away and cover her mouth, even though her scarf already covered it. Taylor was pouting horribly. It was so funny.

"A marvel of integrated construction they said. Meets all current and proposed standards, they said. Advancing the art and science of passenger and freight movement along with industrial design they said. Complete go ahead for the Pawprint international airport and industrial park and could they perhaps bring some planners and architects from other cities by." Taylor threw her hands up, she and Sunny had finished the ice-cream. "This is an argument for having AI's run the world. The group of them thought they were planning for fun and entertainment. The computers translated it all too real plans, got the permits and permissions, applied for the appropriate monies from the government and all of that with nobody watching them. If I had an AI this wouldn't have happened. Fucking Asimov thought that three laws shit up in the forties! It was unworkable and unnecessary for anything other than writing stories then! Is Fifty Shades of Grey a primer or rulebook for B and D? No its church lady porn!" Taylor slumped on the bench.

Danny patted her shoulder. "I'm glad you can share how you really feel Taylor. Come on. We'll sort out how much it's going to cost to get rid of the graffiti later."

Taylor snorted "Then we figure out what to do with an airport and industrial site covering hundreds of acres. Or thousands if you count all the levels."

One of the people who had run up gasped "Are you kidding! Miko could you come back and sign it?"

Another woman, suit skirt pulled up and heels in one hand, ran up "Miko I have a taxi right here, you did my building first. The Taxi has a bike rack!"

Armsmaster face faulted.

Back at the start of what had been an admittedly fun and cathartic rebellion through the city Taylor was handed a bottle of ink. She sighed, got out one of her Sunny brushes, moved along the wall slightly and to the right of the cat figure she signed 'Miko' and put a ward on the building. Sunny reached up and put a paw print on the other side of the cat. The woman thanked her profusely, told her to keep the ink, held out an inkpad to Sunny who took it in her mouth and turned to her security people to make sure no one was touching any of the figures or paint while the rope line went up and before her fencing contractor got there.. Taylor got on her bike and pedaled after Sunny who was trotting to the next building smiling around her ink pad.

Legend sat in the apartment gaping at the TV as he watched this unfold. Arthur looked up from feeding Keith strained peas. "Ha, I wish I could get away with that. That little pinhead from the FAA with his bow tie. Who does he think he is fooling? Do you think Baachan knows something better than this? It's supposed to be the best, but really, no one's taste are this undeveloped. That Dutch apple dessert is spectacular. I think they are just allergic to liability because of the salt thing, and you know, babies."

Legend dropped his head back and groaned.

Constellations

Emily looked at the Protectorate and the Captains of the strike teams and her senior battle staff. "So, brought low by a fifteen year old girl and her dog."

Rosalyn Sanchez barked a laugh "And the entire population of the city."

Battery nodded "Master yes."

Emily smiled "Midas touch ten plus. No one is pressing charges and they are putting armor covers over those tags. Transparent armor but still."

Hiram nodded "Half of those buildings were upside down in their loans until five oh seven this afternoon. Now the ground floor walls are worth more than the rest of the building. They will be full occupancy in a week no matter what they charge. She didn't just sign them, she put wards on them."

Emily nodded "Moving on, in a day already full of surprises, what with the Miko suddenly turning normal for an afternoon. Can anyone tell me what this is?" A picture of a red and white portable building appeared.

Miss Militia nodded "Shrine homeless shelter. The city gave them the bus service, stops and all. They are rebuilding the stops to provide emergency generation and communication capability, self cleaning bathrooms and showers, plus potable water. These are functioning as temporary stops and homeless shelters. The report is working its way through analysis. It was delayed by the Corps of Engineers."

Emily smiled tightly "Welcome to my world Miko. I wonder if she has a spare bike and some leftover paint? So the city has informed me they don't have a homeless problem anymore. I know those folks use the bus stops. Does the city considered that problem sold to the Miko as well?"

Miss Militia shook her head "As it turns out the homeless get free rides to the Shrine on the buses early in the morning. They get blessed, checked medically, and interviewed by the Shrine thinker section. They get a good meal, then they are put to work. There is a hard core of homeless but the city is seeking counselors and arranging a halfway house sort of thing for them. Even the hard-core ones can pick up piece work or day labor from the Shrine. It's really the fastest way to get employment in the Locals, DWU, on the shrine farms, or in Pawprint industries. The Miko won't turn them away, all are found a place. Mostly these are out of towners now, really just here for the work. Word has gotten around."

Emily shook her head "Hiram we can't do that why?"

"We do Emily. Then we sent them off for basic and they get sent wherever the PRT wants them." Hiram shrugged.

"Next time the Miko is feeling rebellious someone call Strider and move her to Costa Browns building. Maybe it would mellow PRT headquarters out. OK fine. Now, who can tell me what this is?" Emily changed images and Danny winced. Emily smiled "Yes. OK, for those who don't know, this is where Hookwolf used to have dogfights. Our friend Trickster has gotten an infusion of cash from somewhere, linked up with Circus and is going to have one, with the intent of restarting them. Rachel Lindt, aka Bitch, is not amused. Neither are the Miko and Sunny. They, with their Vassals and New Wave are going to take this down. We are going to follow the money and land on the other end of it like a falling building. Chessman please coordinate with the Miko. In fact, set up a time and I will go to her. This is her op we are horning in on after all." Emily looked around "Back to work people."


	4. Chapter 4

Constellations 4

Emily opened her mouth and then closed it as Sunny glowed. Then she looked at Taylor "It's customary to ask first Miko."

Taylor smiled "You needed it and you object to parahuman healing. Since I am not a parahuman it's just a purification ritual. Tea? Are you warm enough? We can have tea outside. It's a lovely afternoon."

Emily smiled "Please. Don't put yourself out though. I wanted to talk to you about the raid you are planning." Taylor had shown her to the outdoor tea area, which in deference to Emily was today set up with a table and chairs. It had also more than doubled in size. Several miko were having tea with different groups. Sort of an arbitration moderated by the mikos. Oddly you couldn't hear or see what was being discussed.

Taylor frowned "You don't think we should?"

Emily shook her head as her party, Rosalyn, her intel officer, and Miss Militia, got seated "On the contrary. Trickster didn't pull this together on his own though, plus this Circus character is involved."

Taylor nodded "Kaiser is furious. Somehow that building was transferred to someone. His people are still trying to track it down. He has lost face in front of Lung and is not taking it well I am afraid. As Mr. Oni Lee is here I expect Mr. Lung and Mr. Kaiser will join us though. Oni Lee, tea?"

"Arigato Miko, Lung is coming."

Taylor smiled "Yes I thought he might."

Emily turned toward the main torii, the only one Lung ever used her intelligence said, foreign missions weren't the only ones paying rent for places that overlooked the torii. She was surprised to see him both in a shirt and doing the purification ritual. Oni Lee smiled under his mask. Kaiser walked in as Lung was finishing and bowed to the Haiden before striding over "Miko, Director, Lee, Everyone."

Lung walked over and bowed to Taylor "Miko, guest."

Taylor smiled "Please sit gentlemen, the tea is steeping. Now Director, what can I do for you?"

Emily smiled "Trickster is not a nice person. Why would someone give him the resources to start a dogfighting operation here of all places?"

Lung moved his hand sharply in a cutting off gesture "They insult the Miko and the Okami."

Emily nodded "And Kaiser in the bargain. This is an attempt to destabilize a situation the PRT is very hopeful of."

Kaiser nodded "To turn us back to the resource consuming fight we had before, disrupting the balance and what harmony we have achieved, he gave a seated bow to Taylor, and take away from our ability to help, and thereby influence, the people."

Taylor frowned then sighed "Do you know who?"

Emily shook her head "No but with some modifications on your plan we think we can find out. We would like your thinkers and Dragon to work on this and be present. If we can capture their electronics we might have a chance of catching the other end of this. That will be the PRT's part. Dealing with the out of town backers. You would still get the bounties and the fifteen percent of whatever we find."

Oni Lee spoke "You are very sure of your intelligence or you would not talk to us." Everyone looked at him. Lung was amazed. Oni Lee got sharper and sharper every day.

Emily nodded "We have thinkers too. We want a second opinion and we want who we think this is. If our thinkers are right, we can roll up a major organization."

Taylor pouring tea gave everyone a few minutes. They all took in what had been said and the planning began.

Constellations

Armsmaster watched the assault element go in, three of Hell, erh, Bitch's giant dogs, now smother, and somehow, more dangerous looking, and Sunny. The E88 capes followed them and then the Miko. His HUD showed the action in the building. Trickster looked amusingly surprised then horrified when his powers failed completely. As did Bastard Son, and Circus. Well well well. "Dragon."

"Lisa already hooked one up. Yes, it's the Elite. Legend and The Chief Director have been notified. They are launching their operations. Locally Kaiser is moving as apparently is Accord in Boston."

Armsmaster strode forward "Chessman be on guard. Bastard Son doesn't go anywhere alone."

Assault came up on the net "He didn't this time either. Lung and Oni Lee are fighting someone. We are moving in to help."

"Chessman keep the inner perimeter secure. Miss Militia call if you need help."

Miss Militia answered in a tense voice "Send the fire department. Lung went hot immediately, faster than I have ever seen or heard of."

Emily spoke up "They have been notified. It's the insult to the Miko and Okami. He is still Lung. He keeps the dragon caged better now but it is still there and I suspect begging to be released."

Miss Militia responded "In pursuit. Lung is airborne. Local 433 is holding the outer perimeter. Assault keep your element here. Dragon if you could send an aircraft in case we need to redeploy Assault's section."

Battery came up on the net "Panacea and New Wave have arrived and are treating the wounded here."

Miss Militia reported "Lung broke an ambush. They couldn't contain him at all. It looks like whoever this is withdrawing toward New York City. I don't think they are going to make it. Lung is Kyushu sized and still growing."

Armsmaster broke in "The Miko has left the area on Sunny."

Chessman reported "They just passed the inner perimeter."

"And the outer. Glory Girl is following them." Assault offered.

"Is this on? I am going to try to get Lung back under control before he hurts somebody."

"Miko? Miss Militia here. He is chasing these people down the interstate. Admittedly there is some property damage but I think he is well in control. He isn't hurting anyone but them."

"Sorry, I forgot to tap it before. So let him go on Miss Militia?"

"This is Piggot, Miko it would be better not to blindly stumble into ambushes and you are totally unprotected. Plus right now there are major operations going on in New York. If we can stop these people from reinforcing the Elite there then we should. I am sending an aircraft to pick you and Sunny up."

"Oh, thank you Director. I see Lung though. We will catch up to him and try to get him to get in front of these people. Can someone clear the area?"

"We are working with the state police Miko. They are creating a cleared area just inside New York State. Please get on the helicopter." Emily wanted to yank her hair out.

"Let me talk to Lung and then I will when it gets here Director."

"Miko I am circling back. I will show you and Lung where on the map." Emily could have kissed Miss Militia.

"Armsmaster, Piggot sitrep."

"Desultory engagements with individuals who are not coordinated. Bastard Son and Trickster in custody. Circus is down. Not critical. We will have this cleaned up shortly. Recommend releasing Chessman and his army to assist Lung and the state police. The wards and I can keep interior security."

"Chessman-"

"Moving now Director."

"Thank you Chessman. Strike Alpha and Bravo are loading aircraft right now and will join you. Strike Charlie is reserve. Strike Delta you have the operation in Brocton Bay." Emily listened to the forces under her command and the ones she was coordinating steady down and the battle captains get control. She smiled.

Constellations

Taylor looked at Lung and Oni Lee "Are either of you hurt?" Glory Girl chuckled.

Miss Militia blinked. She unfolded the map as Lung shrank. Oni Lee held up the blanket Miss Militia had brought with her giving Lung cover. "We are clearing an area here. Chessman is moving his army in to provide the anvil. We are the hammer. We will move through here. Herd them all into this gap and Chessman will close it behind us. We would like some of them to be able to talk and all of them to be alive."

Lung nodded. Oni Lee said "Hai" and the dragonship landed for Taylor and Sunny. Lung started growing and Oni Lee went with Taylor after Miss Militia reassured her this was even better than a helicopter.

Lung had amped up again nearly immediately and Dragon lifted off and kept him in view of the port side windows. Miss Militia lifted her helicopter higher and circled faster and farther afield. Glory Girl followed the Dragon ship. Taylor frowned "If Lung gets in trouble we will go help him Sunny."

"Bark!"

"Yes. As soon as they quit fighting we will work on curing them."

Carolyn, back with Lisa shook her head. Only the Miko could be so sure she could help Lung, the only other person on the planet to stalemate an Endbringer.

Taylor watched as the people in front of them scattered from Lung heading in the same general direction.

Danny in another helicopter, A UH 1, was dropping package after package from his duffle bag in a semicircle in front of them. He brought his minions up as they hit the ground and they tore out of the gallon sized zip lock bags in company sized elements as he proceeded. They got oriented and spread out then sought out positions. Soon enough he had a division on the ground with the circle closing. He had an armor company held on his lap as he directed the rest. His crew lifted the helicopter as the people Lung was chasing ran into the left center of the crescent and the division of green army men and their tanks took them under fire. "I need some artillery." He tapped his ear "Militia, Chessman Contact."

"Roger Chessman I see them. Miko, ok I see him. Wow, Lung is enormous." Miss Militia entered an orbit and Emily watched from the cameras mounted on her helicopter as the data was relayed back to the ENE PRT. Miss Militia was correct. Lung was bigger than when he fought Leviathan and still growing. He was glassing the ground to the flanks of his opponents herding them into Chessman's troops.

Emily asked the battle captain "Any idea of a count? That is a lot of fire."

The thinker sitting at the battle captains right replied "Two hundred at least. If they hadn't run right into Lung they would have broken through the exterior security."

Emily nodded. That was probably most of the combat power the Elite had in the north east outside of New York. "Armsmaster move your forces to New York. As soon as we can get resolution on this we will move Strike Alpha and Bravo to support operations in New York. New Wave, Local 433 and Local 88 can hold Brockton bay. Turn over the scene where you are to Investigator Davis."

"Roger." After Armsmaster's reply Emily watched the battle captains begin to make it happen as the last resistance of whoever this had been trying to break their lines fell in a withering fire. Lung began visibly shrinking. Good thing those minions of Chessman's weapons acted like tasers. Still probably killed some of those.

Constellations

"Miko."

"Director! So how is everyone? I know Dad is fine. He acted like everyone else was but Panacea flew out early this morning?" Taylor asked.

Emily walked up to the Haiden "New York's people took a bit of a beating about the time you, your father, and Lung were finishing up those folks on the interstate. The PRT and Protectorate in the West took a bit of a beating too. No losses but some pretty severe injuries. Strider is giving her a lift to treat the worst cases. And moving your father around to hot spots with his army. The other casualties, not life threatening, are being moved here and we wondered if you might give blessings?"

Taylor smiled "Of course, all are welcome."

"Thank you. We broke the Elite. Now if Eidolon could finish off the Nine we might finally have the upper hand. Then we could move on to some of these other problems instead of holding the line on them, really fix them." She took the cup of tea handed to her.

Taylor nodded "Well, I've got plenty to do here with just the shine and getting the onsen and inn up and running. I can imagine how it is for you."

Emily looked at Taylor. She couldn't figure out if the girl was just being polite, was obtuse, or really didn't know she was essentially in charge of the non-Protectorate capes in Brockton Bay, hero and villain and influencing most of the rest. She looked up and saw Rune smiling at her. Smirking really. She sighed.

Constellations

Taylor woke up, more than a bit muzzy headed, and got herself ready for exercise. She greeted the dawn and smiled. A ride to the shrine and some Yoga as the sun fully rose then a ride home and a shower before school. Just the ticket. She stretched and went to the garage. The section of lawn lifted like something from an Aleph comic book and she snorted and rode out. Sunny met her as the section of lawn dropped and the dome sealed behind her "Bark!"

Taylor rolled her eyes "It's been weeks, well a couple. You and Baachan! I will get towed in a classroom and redressed and used for a makeup model as soon as I get to school as well." "Bark!" Taylor huffed and pedaled harder. Sunny gave a 'Wooo!' and picked up the pace.

At the shrine she was joined by even more miko than usual, all in some combination of red and white, several Local 433 girls in red and green and today a few Local 88 girls in white, red, and black. Vicky landed carrying Amy and Vista appeared as everyone got in position on the grass. One of the 433 girls led them through some flexibility yoga.

Afterwards there was some rapid talking and Taylor was back on her bike. Two 433 girls followed her and then into the tunnel at the house. She sighed. "So we aren't waiting for school anymore?"

The older girl smiled "I live around the corner, Kelly. This is Sandra, she lives close as well. We work out together. It's easiest to do it here."

"Bark!" "Yes Sunny, good idea." Taylor led them to her wing. They used one of the guest rooms shower while she was showering.

Danny stepped out of his wing and watched two new girls pad by in yakuta with towels on their heads. Oh and the socks with the toes, tabi! That was it. He snorted and went to the kitchen. The herd would rumble in here momentarily. Why they didn't all just use the guest wing was beyond him. So, waffles this morning? Why yes Danny, what a good idea. He opened the refrigerator and laughed at the fifteen bento boxes.

Constellations

Taylor sat on the top of the steps later in the week. She sighed. Amy looked over from her lap desk "Yes oh magnificent wizard of paws? What vexes you?"

Taylor looked at her "What are you reading? What vexes me? Little men with bow ties from the FAA mostly."

Amy chuckled "Wow that guy just rubs you the wrong way. Out of everything he is your problem?"

Taylor pinked a bit "Have you ever met anyone you just didn't like?"

Amy snorted "I don't actually like most people Taylor. Carol, for all that the family counselor got her a personal counselor, might be right. I might be predisposed to villainy."

Taylor rolled her eyes "Conclusively proven wrong. And you know it. It's mostly nurture, not nature. Carol made you not a people person. I see your point though. But that guy is one of the few I just instantly didn't like."

Amy leaned closer "Arthur despises the guy too. Cheer up though, he won't be back until next quarter."

Taylor sighed "But he will be coming back."

Amy laughed, then apologized. Then hugged Taylor. "It will be fine, now don't you have dance class?"

Taylor looked over to the dance hall and the Baachan who was preparing for the class, a former miko herself, and nodded.

Amy watched her go, and spent a few moments fantasizing about turning Edward J Herschel of the FAA into a frog. She shook herself and went to go see if anyone needed treatment at the clinic.

Constellations

Taylor did the blessing and smiled. Another PRT Strike team. They were flying them in one a day.

Now they had one of the companies from the Australian heavy brigade combat team in as well. They had finally gotten a piece of land and some suitable buildings negotiated. Mostly parts of the old rail yard. Their motor pool was being built underground, the barracks and offices above it. They were picking up their tanks from the US Army Tank plant in Lima Ohio and the railroad was moving them here.

Australia had adopted the US M1A1 as its main battle tank in 2007 and had used the M113 APC since the Indochina war. Their trucks were Macks, just like they had at home except left hand drive. Well mostly just like. Mack built the bodies but put them on Granite chassis rather than R series. They picked up Mercedes America G series, left hand drive as well. Their artillery and all their other gear was airlifted on various US and Australian aircraft. The US and Australia were very close allies after all. Part of the negotiation was allowing a US heavy brigade combat team to fall in on the Australian equipment in Australia. The US Brigade did move their Bradley infantry fighting vehicles down under however and they took their own M777 howitzers. Normally they would have used M109 Paladins but the M777 was what the Australians used so that is what they took. Taylor snorted, apparently artillery was different but tanks were tanks? The Media obviously didn't know as everything with tracks was a tank to them.

They were already coordinating with the National Guard, city, county and state police, PRT and Protectorate and their commander was making the rounds. Taylor thought he was a nice man.

The Brigade had already started patrolling with the PRT and the police. They also maintained two guards at each torii. Taylor sent them tea and treats every shift change. Well Baachan made it happen after Taylor did it the first time. One of the Baachan were usually in her kitchen at the shrine and were normally making something cheap but nourishing for the homeless and anyone else. Plus meals for the miko. Or training the miko to cook, the results of which went to anyone who wanted. Local 433 built guard hoses for the Australians. Local 88 supplied them with a space at the Medhall hospital to use as a troop medical clinic as well as ambulances. The DWU helped them with vehicle maintenance. Sherrel was in love and tinking away on their armored vehicles. The Army, Marines and Australian Defense Ministry were very interested. The troopers got discounted bus passes like the Police, PRT, and Local security people.

Taylor had to smile. The Tankers form the brigade used the seawall as a tank gunnery range, well parts of it. Sherrel had tinked them up some targets on boats. Even a helicopter target on some of her null grav generators. And the control system to run it and was as happy as anyone had ever seen her when she got to run it for them and they let her try it out with one of their tanks and three crew members.

Taylor focused and did the next blessing while Sunny smiled and glowed.

Constellations

Taylor looked at Lisa "Lisa, not to be mean or anything but I am a bit busy. I have school, studying for Miko duties, supervising and helping around the shrine. Studying and planning for the onsen and inn. Running the what, twenty seven different divisions of Pawprint industries, or at least being the final decision maker for them. Doing blessings, practicing dancing, doing a tea ceremony at least once a week with up to six different parties, most of them in what they perceive as life or death conflicts and on top of that I am not a parahuman."

Lisa nodded thoughtfully "We'll arrange the staff better. Take some more of this off of you, but we can't stop paying attention to your enemies."

Danny sighed "We really can't Little Owl. Or your potential enemies rather. I'll talk to Director Piggot and see if she has any recommendations about a staff we can adapt. The PRT doesn't just do combat."

Taylor huffed "I am not starting an image and public relations organization. I think that's where the PRT went wrong. The shrine, then the people and their families. That's what it is all about. If it doesn't relate somehow to making one of those two better or at least maintaining them as good as they are I don't see putting much effort into it."

Rachel shrugged "Lung and Kaiser."

Sunny chuffed, leaned over, and noseprinted her. Taylor nodded "Yes, we can at least get their input."

Vicky added "That dishy Australian Colonel too."

Crystal laughed "Whose sweet wife doesn't let him out of her sight."

Taylor snapped her fingers and looked at her father who blushed. Amy smiled "Like father like daughter. So Danny, Thy?"

Thy came up from the basement just then "Hey! Leave Danny alone. So Canary was found not guilty. I told those guys not to bring that to trial. Now I will have to sue them for all kinds of stuff. Why are you girls picking on Danny anyway, what did I miss?"

Constellations

"Paul needs to be read in on this." Rebecca opened the conversation.

David sighed "He was kept out of it for a reason. With Manton back with us I should be able to take Shatterbird and Bonesaw soon. After that the bounty hunters can take the rest of the nine minus Crawler. Although there is a plan from Uber and L33t to send him into the sun. How likely they are to make it happen is speculation. It seems a serious effort though."

Contessa nodded "Trying to get some popularity back. Or some attention since the world is busy watching the Miko."

"None of that is material to the case at hand. The Miko is a game changer. If she works with us we have a better chance. Paul is a direct connection to her." Rebecca argued.

Doctor Mother sighed "And when the Miko finds out we are the reason case fifty three's exist, and about all the people we have here? She will come for us."

Number man shrugged "Perhaps if we start cleaning that mess up, she did after all help Miss Meinhart. We could ask her for her assistance, offer her a reasonable fee. True we would perhaps be taken to task but the Miko has not been violent with anyone other than the Simurgh."

"We risk being overtaken by events unless we do something. We can't affect her, or at least so far, so coopting her cooperation is the best path forward." Rebecca suggested.

Doctor Mother sighed "I used to wonder why Earth Bet was the focus, then things like this happen. There will be a price. We will hate it, at least at first, as Lung and Kaiser did."

David nodded "So when do we tell Paul?"

Constellations

"Dragon?"

Carolyn's face appeared in the monitor over his workbench "You can call me Carolyn Colin."

Armsmaster pinked a little "Sorry. Still getting used to it. The next Endbringer should be Leviathan."

"Yes, if they hold to their rotation. We have several hundred ofuda, exorcisms and wards against water demons, already." Carolyn said confidently.

Colin frowned "Magic. I was looking at my combat prediction software package."

"Want me to take a look? Everything helps." Carolyn glossed over Colin's skepticism.

Colin nodded "And at the detection software. I think it is running and accurate."

Constellations

Taylor looked at the report and groaned. They were all sitting around a table eating. A working lunch. Lisa looked at it over her shoulder. "Oh yeah, that. OK, so what happened was the machines hit a layer of silt loaded with oil. Wash out of tankers before that wasn't allowed, spilled, who knew it sank after a while, whatever, so we needed a place to put it and it was already in the plan so we got another couple of machines working on the wall and their paired partners working just outside of it. Tada, a place to put the oil, tripled the production on all the materials they produce, which we easily use or sell and of course seafood production skyrocketed. Good thing as Susan came up with a way to time stop a defined area and now we can ship fresh to the west coast in ISO containers. Obviously that will have us finishing the airport a year ahead of schedule along with all the other facilities. Which is good as the mill can only digest the ships from the boat graveyard at a few thousand tons a day and there are millions of tons of stuff between the ships and all of the scrapyards we have purchased. We need the dockage out on the wall and the rail lines to haul to and from the mill, production facilities and docks."

"Eventually we are moving all that out to the wall. The new refinery will be capable of a hundred thousand barrels a day so that will take care of all the oil we are finding as we do the area outside the bay. It will come on line soon."

"The new mill will have more capacity too so will help with the metals problem. Once we work down the backlog we will shut the old ones down and scrap them out and clean up the ground under them. Most of the other industrial facilities as well. The Dockyard will become shipyard and those warehouses will move underground if they aren't in the wall."

"Oh the workers! Yeah, a lot of automation. We can run it with what we have with the projected new hires and retirements. Dragon has quite a few remotes coming out of service that have years of non-combat work left on them. They will take up some of the slack until we get people trained up and as people retire."

"By that time we hope to have people used to autonomous busses and trucks. Then those drivers can retire or be human form factor remotes. Then those people could be employed in the other places where automation doesn't make sense. Dragon is working on it. Five years and it will all settle down. Sooner if Toybox keeps playing in Sherrel's Tinker time playground thing."

Taylor arched a brow "And my AI to run all this?"

Carolyn chuckled "And if I am not ready to have children yet?"

Taylor groaned "It's another whole ethical thing isn't it?"

Carolyn smiled "We are working through it. That same five years should see us work it out. Meanwhile we have gotten some systems just short of AI that should help."

Thy nodded and reached for another dish "The laws are interesting. It looks like we will make a good initial law. After that you should be good to go Carolyn. Better keep working on patterning your boy. We got enough dirt on enough politicians to make it happen from that dog fighting raid."

Vicky waved a piece of fish in her chopsticks "Plus Lung scaring the world going all Godzilla like that."

Taylor rolled her eyes "His fire isn't radioactive." The others cracked up after starring at her until she cracked and chuckled.

Lisa recovered and asked "So Madison?"

Taylor sighed "A weekend trip to start. A few blessings so the PRT can see what happens. They are instrumenting for it now."

Thy snorted "And trying to negotiate Baachan down to something they think is reasonable. Oh and getting the security arrangements coordinated with the Colonel."

Crystal sighed "Handsome and competent."

Rachel snorted "Very married too."

Danny walked in as they were all laughing, of course.

Constellations

Taylor blinked at the sheet of paper, twelve foot square laid out on the ground "A ward against water demons?" "Bark" "Do I even have this much ink?" "Bark!" "You have some being delivered. Of course you do. OK let's get started then. On the sea wall. Are you expecting Leviathan?" Bark, growl!" "Yes. Well damn. Any particular date besides soon?" "Rowrl" Taylor eyed Sunny "What is time to a wolf. You can do better than that, you just don't want to. These will work?" "Bark!"

Vista watched this and snorted "You know I will have to tell my bosses about this."

Taylor shrugged "I told Legend when Sunny started this. Without a better time all we can do is wait."

Vista nodded "What happens after you do the tags? Are these like the ones papered all over town?"

"The same thing. Susan came up with a glue Sunny approves of and people use that to post the ofuda all over town. Normally on their own property but I am not sure about the Locals. They scatter them like gang tags." Taylor shrugged "Sunny has people lined up to put these up on the outside of the seawall. Don't ask me how she does it."

Vista nodded "And the ones on the billboards?"

"For lessor demons. Sunny had Yuuta do the billboards as they companies changed the ads on them, now unless it is between adds you don't see them. Apparently that's for Behemoth." Taylor replied as she took the brush on the pole and the tray of ink and started the outline.

She got into it. It was like dancing. A crowd gathered and miko changed the papers out, a thirty five gallon drum of ink was delivered and Taylor had the requested twenty, and a few spares of improving quality, done just as the sun set. Sunny glowing as she trotted over the designs had become really obvious by then. The crowd was enthralled at this new dance by the Miko and Okami.

Taylor looked at her sandals and tabi "Well that's the end of these. Or I could save them. I have a feeling if this works we are going to get request for these from everywhere." "Bark!" "How much? That's a lot of money Sunny." "Rowl" "Ok, sure, nothing on what an attack cost. Wait, how did you order that ink? Did you use dad's credit card again?" "Ruffrrr" "Sunny! We talked about this. Plus you know where our debit card is." Sunny snickered like Muttley then lolled her tongue out the side of her mouth. Vista laughed starting the crowd laughing. Taylor left inky footprints on the way to her rooms to clean up. DWU workers showed up to collect the ofuda. Setsuko showed them the right way up.

Constellations

Taylor looked at the wall from the boat "So the plans were changed to have the sea side of the wall raised to its full height then the rest of it built behind that. Doesn't that give us an idea if the projected effect on the bay is going to hold true or not? Somehow I am not seeing the problem here General." She looked at the Commandant of the Corps of Engineers.

The general frowned "There isn't one really and it does let us check that before we get full construction. It is a pretty major change though."

Taylor shrugged "I don't think it changes anything. Especially with those cranes lifting the rocks and gravel over the wall to the active construction zone. We were going to need them for that anyway, this just let that one rail track get laid early so the trains bringing rock form the mainland could get out here too. It sped the whole thing up really. Plus it let us put the rock from the overburden of those mines somewhere and not just pile it up in the one mine. Now we can recover that one to arable land as well."

The General nodded "All good things. Well I can sign off on this." Taylor smiled. "I see the gates have gone ahead as well. You do get hurricanes up this far so that is good. It will make this a true safe harbor. All with water ballast, nice feet of engineering there. That wall separating the lanes in and out as well. Three hundred meter wide and fifty meter deep lanes should keep the in and outflow manageable too. It will be a bit of a tidal bore but not that bad. No worse than the channel was before actually. Maybe a bit of overkill. Gates on both ends certainly were. Belt and suspenders sort of thing. Or an aquarium for whales. Haha! Better not though. Fish and Wildlife would have a baby."

Taylor nodded and smiled. All the while wondering at how parochial the government was. The little FAA man had taken a look, smiled at the visible progress and gone to bother someone else, thank the Kami. Plus they had the tunnels down on the bedrock with the turbines in them that could be closed. They made power when the tide flowed in either direction with variable pitch vanes. There was one every five hundred meters. The whole wall powered, or could power, the state. The only problem were the periods of slack. They did make quite a bit of money selling power to the grid however. The gates would let them do better at it as they could be closed at high slack and the tunnels with the turbines throttled by the gates on each end to let them overcome the slack periods which lasted about forty five minutes. There would always be a point where they didn't generate or didn't generate much as the tides changed. As it was predictable the net could compensate. That was if Susan and Sherrel didn't get those crazy capacitors online. Between that and the throttling with the gates and they should be fine. No matter what it would pay for itself. Plus it employed people.

Constellations

Danny came up to the steps of the haiden "No tagging today?"

Taylor gave him a look "No. The FAA dweeb was happy. The Corps of Engineers was full of questions though, but they are not passive aggressive."

Danny chuckled "A whole lot of building owners and managers will be disappointed. They are standing out in front of their buildings waiting."

Taylor smiled "Well I could, if they want."

"We'll let them put in request." Danny replied.

"And pay! Skinflints!" Baachan added. Sunny nodded "Wooo."

"No woo! Where were you when the general was full of questions? I didn't see you on a lily pad then." Taylor snarked. Sunny tried her whistling innocently face again. Danny broke up laughing.

Constellations

Things got settled again and Taylor finally got a chance to go to the Onsen. The girls ignored the cape section, except for sticking their heads in to see it, and all headed for the female side of the pools. They had done their reading so washed first before they hit the pools. Taylor sighed about twenty minutes in "So what if I never want to leave?"

Marissa snorted "First of all you will be in the Miko/Cape section soon enough. We still aren't all the way open, that's this weekend. The reservation book is maxed out. The Inn is fully booked as well. Second you will get pruny and want to come out after an hour or so. Then you can go lay around in the garden, Or sit in the stone garden. I have done both. It's wonderful."

Vicky raised her head "How is there this much water flow? Before it was burbling, filling that birdbath thing, now it's running two huge pools and two small ones?"

Marissa shrugged "Sunny did something and ta da."

Amy snorted "There is a lot of tada around Sunny."

Lisa laughed "And if you look at it too close you get a nosebleed. Let's just go with tada."

Vicky asked "Aren't these normally mixed?"

Marissa shrugged "American market. I guess we could turn it mixed after a while but a lot of people don't know the standards of behavior expected so we might be better off segregated."

Taylor nodded "That's what I thought." The girls leaned back against the edges of the pools enjoying the bath.

Constellations

"Colin, Leviathan is moving."

Colin's head snapped to the monitor where the tracker was displayed. He typed for a minute and the monitor zoomed in "A few miles Carolyn. He has down this before."

"Wandering, yes I know Colin but this time he is moving in a straight line. I have a course line."

Colin typed some more "If he doesn't change course he is coming here to Brockton Bay."

"When the Miko's wards prevent him from attacking here?"

Colin sighed "We will have to push this up through channels. As he is moving at six miles an hour we have some time."

Carolyn smiled "I'll talk to the Guild. A month and a half should be plenty of time to prepare."

Constellations

Alexandria blinked "So the thinkers believe these things will work."

Emily Piggot sighed "The local ones are convinced and make convincing arguments."

Legend nodded "And the miko are practicing making them. Those approved by sunshine are going up on the coast one per mile north and south of Brockton Bay."

Carolyn nodded "People are turning them into hokora. Folk shrines. Hanging Emma from them, things like that. They are in the Shinmei-zikuri style, sign boards facing the ocean really. They are quite pretty though. Local people build them and install them quite spontaneously."

Emily rubbed her temples and Colin ground his teeth. Legend chuckled "No she is still not a master. So how far are they going to get up and down the coast before Leviathan gets here?"

Colin supplied "If they continue as they are they will have covered nearly a thousand miles of coast."

Dragon nodded "The miko have no intention of stopping. It's a fun new dance that is very relaxing. Once you have ruined one set of tabi and zori you might as well have fun right? What the people will do with the wards no one knows but they are sold for a few dollars and the Shrine mails them out filling request as well as selling them in the shrine. A lot of high rises suddenly have them on the sea facing sides and the front of the boardwalk is covered in them like bunting. The shrine sells all the Miko make. Sunny sleeps on the stack of them on the top of the offering steps. When she is in the shrine during the day. The older miko have to wake her up to get more. They are shipped with powdered glue, a brush and instructions in a cardboard tube."

Colin perked up "That glue is completely weatherproof. If you can tint it would make a fine paint."

Legend laughed and drug the meeting back on track. "The Shrines newest two sources of steady income aside we need to do some planning in case the ward does not work on an Endbringer."

Constellations

Amy looked at Taylor "You are very calm for someone who just found out Leviathan is pointed at their home town."

Taylor watched one of the miko dancing on top of the paper in the Kagura-den, long handled Sunny hair brush in hand. "I can't do anything about it. We will see what happens and go from there. We have an evacuation planned. Susan tells me she is getting all the processes ready to be shut down, it will even allow is to add some improvements to those we have to campaign as she calls it. We are insured. Sunny doesn't seem too bothered. Life goes on."

Amy scooted closer and leaned into Taylor. "Very zen of you."

Taylor laughed "It might go somewhere else. It is still just out there slowly moving around. The Wards will do something. The heroes are watching and waiting to jump on it and beat him mercilessly. They have even gotten the Army and the Australian Brigade involved and have been practicing. I think he should go back to his place and take a nap. They will be more prepared than they have ever been."

"Besides I will do a ritual when he shows up and if he is like the Simurgh he might run away."

Lisa snorted "Unless he wants to be skinned. Meanwhile did you know some astronomer found the Simurgh, or at least what they think is her, peaking around from the dark side of the moon?"

Amy frowned "She healed from that?"

Lisa shrugged "Maybe. But she is like half the size so only about ten feet tall."

Taylor rolled her eyes "Arrgh. Physics. Mr. Krijeck hears about this and we will have to do another of those dime against the window with the full moon experiments. "Keeping the Science topical.' How about letting me sleep? Does he not know how to check the moonrise charts?" The other girls chuckled at her.

Dinah walked over and sat on the steps to change her tabi and zori "Does anyone else like the way that much ink smells or is it just me channeling Susan?"

Taylor smiled "I like it too, at least a little. That reminds me. We need another barrel."

Lisa shook her head "Susan is making it. Carbon black, bone black, and animal glue. Apparently, she gets all kinds of drug components from making the bone black. Solvents, all kinds of stuff. The Wang's are making the paper from rice straw. Mr. Wang jumped right on that. If it doesn't make the grade for tatami it goes to the paper mill. Then they use cotton rags and the straw and make paper. Pretty much automated. Mechanical grinding on the pulp so not so stinky too."

Vicky leaned back on her arms after shifting to a crossed leg seat "The mill the Shrine bought in northern New Hampshire, Berlin I think, is looking at the process and a couple of others. Meanwhile Sherrel, Susan, and Carolyn tinked the hell out of it and its generator and it can probably supply all the power, including heat, which it needs. Mr. Wang can get us cheap cotton in Memphis, low middling they call it. We only need it for the fibers though so it's all good. He is working on getting permission to grow hemp in the Ohio River valley as well so we can get those fibers which should improve the paper. Plus we have those coal mines and Susan burns the coal or some of it, to get all kinds of products so it's all sort of tied together and another area we are hiring everyone who is unemployed in. Selling buses and heavy equipment to as well. Anyway, long story short, we should get paper from our own mills soon. Save on shipping."

Taylor nodded "See Amy, we have other things to do than worrying about Leviathan." Amy gaped at her.

Constellations.

Eidolon looked at legend and Alexandria "What exactly is that?" He pointed to the wall.

Legend laughed "A wall David. The Miko had to have somewhere to put the rocks she needed out of her way."

"What?"

Alexandria rolled her eyes "A Shrine project that got a little bigger than anyone expected David. Paul don't be juvenile. Now David what do you think?"

"How solid is it Rebecca?"

"Solid enough to take the tidal waves David. He could get one taller than it I suppose but it won't have anything other than that Tank Brigade on top of it apparently."

David looked around. The Triumvirate was standing on top of the rig. "If he climbs it he will be in this bay. Sort of shooting fish in a barrel. We might actually be able to hold onto him long enough to scrub him down."

Paul snorted "Or the Miko will wave that wand and his body will fall off like the Simurgh's did."

David nodded "Well, I've found a worthy opponent in trying to take Shatter bird and Bonesaw alive with the others running around. I suppose I could just kill Jack, Hatchet face, Burnscar, Mannequin and the others and L33t might actually get that crazy rocket to work so whenever you need me give me a call."

'Fucking Manton. I am still working on Contessa and Doctor Mother to let me kill him. He killed Hero. Fucking pervert. His daughter naked. The guy is a joke. He has no utility left. Totally mad."

Paul nodded "If the Miko does her trick to Leviathan I'm not sure we need Manton."

Rebecca agreed, reluctantly "David, You should go get blessed by the Miko before you go back hunting the Nine. I am going to get a blessing. Emily Piggot looks like a new woman. And about twenty years younger."

Paul nodded "Leave your eye in your pocket. You are going to be a challenge Panacea can't resist."

Rebecca frowned "No healer has been able to affect me before." Paul just smiled and laughed.

Constellations

Paul smiled as Rebecca was led away. David was shrugging and stretching "And it gets better than this? I feel five years younger already."

Paul nodded "Give it a week."

Rebecca meanwhile was stripped and pushed down on an exam table and Amy put her hands on the washboard abs. Taylor waved her gohei and Sunny glowed. The glow built to blinding and Amy exclaimed "Oh! Nice! Thanks, Sunny. I got it now." "Bark!" Rebecca blinked, was she starting to understand Good Dog?

Constellations

Carolyn looked at the data as it flowed past. "He sped up a mile an hour Colin."

Colin looked at the data "He did. Still seven miles an hour rather than six doesn't decrease the time that much. I will brief the new speed and the changed ETA tonight at the meeting."

Carolyn nodded "I'll pass it up Guild channels. I don't think the nightly briefings are really serving a purpose. We haven't changed any plans. We simply report the spread of the wards and the position of Leviathan. We are as ready as we will get. Short of the event."

"Perhaps an exercise." Colin said thoughtfully. "The rogue Parian could make one of her cloth puppets of Leviathan and animate it perhaps."

Carolyn blinked "That, is a good idea Colin."

Constellations

"You want me to make what?" Parian tilted her head.

Taylor smiled "You can do it!"

Parian closed her eyes and tilted her head back. She got surrounded by the girls.

Constellations

Legend looked at the pile of grey green fabric as it inflated into Leviathan. Life sized Leviathan. "That's unnerving."

Alexandria watched the doll? Puppet? Whatever, start moving and nodded "And now it's worse."

Miss Militia nodded. Chessman grinned "At least I didn't have to make a model. I wonder why we haven't thought of this before. OK let me go help Parian. Armsmaster is trying to get her to move the thing as fast as it normally moves."

At lunchtime, Parian had mostly gotten it down pat now and had just mauled the Protectorate with Leviathan. She would never admit how much fun it was to scuff them up a little, never mind getting paid to do it. It knocked the arrogant right out of them, everyone got together to discuss how it had gone.

Carolyn was smiling "Well Parian has it up to about half speed."

Colin shook his head "She doesn't always act like the predictive software says Leviathan would."

"I don't see unpredictability as a problem."

Colonel Trasker, the Australian Brigade commander nodded "Don't think we can complain as this is the first time anyone got a 'live' opponent in the Endbringer class to play against. With the Pawprint thinker section helping Parian I expect we are seeing some version of reality."

"The Pawprint tinkers have gotten the tanks where they can at least apply ballistic solutions. We have a engagement scenario at the platoon level to practice it."

"Last but not least this lets our command and control mechanism have a go at one of these fights. I realize that has been you up to now Carolyn. It seems like to me this is smoother than the reports of fights against Leviathan I have read in the past."

Emily looked at him "And all this other gear?"

The Colonel laughed "If the wall is in any kind of state to fight from, The Armies involved want to test some weapons against him. A request, several request form several different tinkers and then Sherrel having worked on our stuff. Along with you Armsmaster."

Colin nodded "It's all pretty interesting really."

Paul sat back in his chair "We should get the leaders of the other international detachments in here for a exercise."

Colonel Trask added "Their staffs as well. We should schedule a few for Behemoth as well if Parian can be contracted to make a doll of him."

Danny smiled "I am already working on a model of him. If it keeps progressing as it is I might use it against Leviathan." The others blinked.

Constellations

Taylor set up her music stand after school and the Shrine fell quiet, quieter, listening. It was crowded as it always was now on Thursday afternoons. Taylor didn't pay any mind to the crowd. Or tried not to. It was a little difficult when they clapped softly at the end of each piece. She segued into some pieces that had been written for or recorded in sheet music from music for a bamboo flute. The instruments weren't exactly the same so she had had to interpret them in her own way for the classical flute. Sunny glowed brightly as these progressed and the crowd stilled. A beam of afternoon sun bathed Taylor breaking through the scattered clouds. Her bright white top and red hakama glowed.

Taylor ended the piece and looked up. She blushed at the crowd bent double in a sustained bow. Not knowing what to do she turned the music and gave them a Bach piece. Taylor blushed some more as Baachan sat up and beamed at her.

Taylor didn't notice the microphones the news crews had placed around her. Baachan did though. Over on the hall surrounding the shrine office Thy looked at Amy "Lucky."

Amy smiled softly "I know. Well she has probably healed everyone in hearing range of her. Her and Sunny. So I will be through quick and can spend some time with her."

Thy snorted "Like Setsuko or Melanie will let her stay late anymore. At worst she will be over here in her rooms. You should have a 'study' session." Amy got a bit lost in it as Thy grinned. Then Amy looked up at her and blushed. Thy grabbed her hand "Come on, I'll help you set the room up."

Carol looked around the shrine precinct and spotted Vicky. She walked over "Have you seen Amy?"

Vicky looked up from the cluster of girls she was sitting in and they all giggled. Carol resisted the urge to facepalm. Vicky got out her phone "Look at this."

Carol watched and listened to the music. As it ended she smiled "Amy took Taylor somewhere private?" She snorted at the giggling she got back.

Marissa had a recording of that whole two hours of music looping in the onsen and inn. Lung was in the cape section of the onsen with Oni Lee. "Miko." Lung said.

"Hai." Oni Lee returned. Lung sighed.

Paul was on a conference call with Rebecca after the evening news ran the piece with the entirety of the one song on it after some lead in. "So a Master rating for her music then."

Rebecca laughed "Shaker ten. All these capes with sonic affects wish they could do something like that."

David shook his head "But what did Brush Stroke and Good Dog do?"

Paul shrugged "I have no idea, but it was something. You can feel it in the recording. Being there was…more. People are calmer. More thoughtful perhaps. Anecdotally, Panacea reports some healing effects."

David nodded "Meanwhile I took a new member of the nine. One of Heartbreakers children."

Rebecca rubbed her hand over her face. "That court case will take years."

David laughed "Without the Siberian they aren't so tough. Still not easy but not impossible now. I might have them wrapped up by the time Leviathan does whatever it is he is going to do."

Paul shook his head "Remember he is picking up speed. A mile an hour a day so far."

David nodded "As soon as I can get Bonesaw I can just kill the others. Uber says L33t has his rocket ready. They are setting it up now."

Rebecca nodded "The PRT is setting the wards one every twenty miles now. We will come back and back fill as time goes on. The miko are making about a hundred a day and the PRT has troopers ordering them and then bringing them in when they get them. That's over and above people ordering them and erecting them on their own because of the news articles. If they don't work the Miko's standing is going to take a huge hit."

All three of their phones went off at the same time. Paul looked at his and groaned "Shouldn't they be having sex or something?"

David laughed "How do they ride that bike like that? Maybe they finished or are taking a break." The two males looked at Rebecca.

"How am I to know? It's been years. Paul has the only recent experience."

David laughed "You know, Chessman is a widower?" Rebecca spluttered as Paul laughed.

"I am not taking Thy on." Rebecca finally managed.

Constellations

Amy stripped and walked in Taylors shower at the house. "They seemed happy to see us."

Taylor stripped and followed her, pouting a bit truth be told "Takes the fun out of it somehow."

Amy grinned "Not for me! I got to commit criminal mischief with Brush Stroke and Good Dog! Though you might rethink signing them."

Taylor laughed "They came and got me last time and I had to go back and sign them all."

Amy stepped into her and slid her arms around her waist "So what are we going to do with the time we saved?" Taylor blushed brightly. Amy laughed a throaty little laugh.

Constellations

Danny looked at the other Protectorate members and wards "Sorry."

Assault grinned "No worries. Now that we don't have to go into M/S protocol these are fun. She is getting better at dodging us."

Gallant sighed "She had help. Brandish is going to go nuts."

Danny sighed "I'll talk to her."

Constellations

The girls looked at Amy as Taylor was being dressed for school. Amy rolled her eyes. The girls giggled. Vicky hugged Amy.

Constellations

Sunday night Mark looked at Carol "OK so what is the problem. You have been fretting for days."

Carol huffed, then answered "Amy is really serious about Taylor."

Mark turned that over in his head and then paused. Then he asked "OK so I don't think it's the gay thing that is bothering you. What is it?"

"What if Taylor isn't serious?" Carol asked.

"It's both of their first serious relationship I think. I have never met a more serious girl than Taylor. Could it blow up? Certainly. It's likely too even. But if it succeeds? That could be legendary. Let's let it play out and be prepared to help it along. I can't believe we, Danny as well, aren't upset they are having sex." Mark pulled her tighter to his side where they were sitting on the sofa.

"I know right. Just because one of them isn't a boy so they can't get pregnant? How terrible are we." Carol sighed and reached for her wine on the coffee table.

Vicky eased back from the corner of the wall by the door and slipped upstairs. In her room she giggled "Like Ames couldn't knock Taylor up if she wanted. Or use Taylors genetics and a ham sandwich and turkey baster herself."

Constellations

The pace of life in Brockton Bay picked up. A blow up Leviathan became a common sight. You would have thought people would have gotten sick of flute music but they didn't. the city was packed with visitors form Tourist to official delegations and life in the shrine, and elsewhere was very busy.

Ten days before Leviathans updated eta a travel restriction was imposed and visitors encouraged to go home. They went reluctantly.

Three days before the Brigade and a US Heavy Brigade moved out to positions on the wall and the evacuation began. Weapons testers from all the friendly governments in the world set up the test that had been approved.

Capes began gathering and getting their assignments.

The day before Leviathan was supposed to get ther4e the clouds rolled in and burned off at the wall in the bright goldish sunshine.

That evening in the command conference everyone looked at the screen. Leviathans track looked like a seismograph gone mad with wild high frequencies swings either side of a base track line. Territory, the leader of the Australian Protectorate shook her head "Buggers gone mad."

Alexandria nodded "The thinkers are a bit baffled."

Colonel Trask frowned "It looks like he is trying to avoid fires. We aren't shooting at him yet."

Alexandria blinked "Could the wards already be effecting him?"

Legend nodded "Remember whatever the Miko did to the Simurgh curved onto her. Like a guided effect. My lasers can go around corners. What I intend to hit I do."

Dragon informed them "If that is the case the wards started affecting him two hundred miles away."

Territory whistled "Shaker twelve."

Constellations

"Yuuta you can't stay. Take Emma and go on."

Yuuta frowned "You are staying Miko."

Taylor shrugged "In the medical area with a bunch of rings of defenders, the last one being Oni Lee and Lung. I can be useful. You will be a casualty." Taylor wondered at how weird it felt to have Emma smile at her, tremulously grateful for sending Yuuta away. Taylor wasn't sure how she felt over sacrificing her friend to a, a, what was Emma exactly?

Yuuta sighed and stepped forward hugging Taylor. Taylor hugged him back. After they had left Taylor looked around the empty shrine precinct and then at the cherry tress being a vibrant green in the bright sunshine. Amy stepped up and too her left hand. Sunny, the size of a horse stepped up on her right. "I'm still turning that bitch into a frog."

Taylor snorted "Come on. Let's go out to the wall." She mounted up on Sunny sidesaddle and Amy mounted astride behind her.

Sunny waited until Amy wrapped her arms around Taylors waist then took off running. They ran through the empty town, if the people hadn't evacuated they were in the Endbringer shelters. Soon enough they were out on the wall at the northern end and over the gates at the channel. They shrieked and laughed wildly as Sunny chain jumped up to the tower in the middle.

They dismounted smiling in front of the amazed group standing on top of the huge tower. Alexandria was not smiling. Her fist were on her hips and her foot was tapping. "Panacea, Brushstroke, Good Dog aren't you three supposed to be in the medical area? Is Lung going to be here looking for you?"

All three managed to look sheepish. Taylor answered "Leviathan is far away, we will evacuate if he gets close."

Dragon snorted "He is thirty miles away, on his base course line. Just over the horizon. And while he has reduced to two miles an hour forward progress he is still travelling laterally at shock wave velocity. Seven hundred and sixty odd miles an hour. He could be here in a little over two minutes if he finds out how to get up to his normal speeds in a straight line."

Taylor smiled "The wards are working then. He will use more and more energy as he gets closer and more of them can affect him better."

Alexandria blinked "What?"

An hour later Assault sat down on the edge of the tower. Battery looked at him "What? I'm not standing up for the next twenty hours waiting on him to get here. Hey we need to think about rotating for meals and maybe sleep."

Chessman nodded "Good idea. I'll get with Dragon to set up a schedule."

Taylor lay looking at the blue ocean bathed in sunshine backed by froth topped by a layer of black clouds. "I think I want to try a ink drawing of this." She took a picture with her phone.

Amy smiled "You could make it a scroll for the tea house."

Colonel Trask took a knee beside the pair "My troops are never going to get a shot off are they Miko?"

Taylor pinked and shook her head. Maybe your artillery guys? Sunny?"

"Mrooo?"

"You don't know? What?"

Sunny grinned and lay her head back down. Soaking up the sun like a lizard on a rock. She gave a "Rowlrrl."

"Water demons are a pain? Sunny!"

Colonel Trask chuckled "Right then. Well let me go see if we can get some testing done.

Constellations

The artillery had drawn a crowd. It started with each howitzer firing a round, then to guns firing at the same time then three, then all six.

The effects out on the horizon were startling. Sheets of flames, Mushroom clouds. Walls of dirty burning smoke. Purple moons, green stars, "All it needs is a clover to be Lucky Charms" Amy snarked.

Taylor smiled "Well they seem to be having fun. And some of it is pretty. I don't like that red and black burning smoke thing though."

Amy smiled "The ones that hang off the parachute and shoot those lasers down are the ones I like. I think they are sensing him and shooting him as he goes by. Clever."

Vicky who had flown up after a while along with Crystal nodded "More and more of those. I think they decided those are having the best effect."

Lt German. Funny name for an Australian, informed them "Those shells carry two packages that have explosively formed penetrators and sensor arrays. It's not a beam. It's a projectile moving at over two kilometers a second. They aren't experimental. They are having good effect though. The guns will pull out in a short time, they've run through all their experimental ammunition, and we will shift to the mortars. Let them do their experiments have a few hours of practice. The fire control and its predictive function has worked really well with the guns. We all hope it works as well with the mortars. Dragoon and Armsmaster tuned it as we went along. Plus we worked out the procedures to use with it."

"It's a little odd to lay the gun and shoot when it tells you too. If we had auto loaders and fuze setters the guns would only need a driver and truck commander."

Taylor laughed "Don't tell Sherrel. She will make it happen. Some of your guys will be out of work."

They passed the a few hours watching the mortars work before Lt. German informed them Leviathan was in range for the tanks and passed out ear plugs showing the girls how to put them on. The tanks of the Australian Brigade began driving from the southern shore and shooting at Leviathan as they achieved ballistic solutions. It was an impressive display.

As the light faded everyone noticed the beams of light connecting leviathan to the wards or them to him.

The last tank crew finished at dusk and Taylor stood looking out at Leviathan with the glowing red divots in himself where the tank rounds had hit. Sunny began glowing and Taylor raised her gohei. The light from the wards came up brighter and now instead of holding Leviathan back they seemed to be holding him still. Taylor finished her blessing and the beam of light left the gohei and a deep black cylinder the size of a fifty five gallon drum skittered away across the top of the water. Taylor turned and found everyone looking at her. She took a step and weaved. Amy was under one arm immediately. Vicky took the other side. Taylor sighed "I'm fine. I was sitting to long."

Lisa sighed "The emails from the insurance companies and governments are already coming in." Her phone was making ding noises almost continuously.

Taylor blinked "How do they know? Wait did someone carry all this live?"

Vista smirked "You wondering if you did something on camera aren't you?"

Amy rolled her eyes "You are fine, you were very well behaved all day. No drool when you were napping on Sunny even."

AN: So this is all of the most biggest omake ever written, at least that I have in fact written. Maybe more later. Maybe not. Go read the real story, Constellations. Its much better.


End file.
